Star Wars: Specters of the Past
by SSG Michael B Jackson
Summary: After the Yuuzhan Vong's defeat, a survey crew makes a shocking discovery in the bowels of Coruscant's underworld that could change the Skywalkers' lives forever. Chapter 10 up!
1. Discoveries

_**Star Wars: Specters of the Past**_

_**By SSG Michael B. Jackson**_

_Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?_

_A/N: Ok, this is a repost. I made a little continuity boo-boo toward the end of the chapter, and this, along with a few minor grammatical errors that somehow escaped my proof-reading have been fixed. Sorry 'bout that!_

This was not, Garlan Dax reflected somewhat gloomily, what he'd been expecting when he signed on with the Coruscant Reclamation Project. Oh, he'd been warned that the job would be far from glamorous, or even comfortable for that matter. Who in their right mind, after all, would think that stripping away all of the layers of Sith-damned Vong-forming biomass from Coruscant's ravaged surface would be anything but onerous, tedious, and frustrating? But he'd never stopped to consider that the job didn't stop at the surface. Now, hundreds of meters down inside what used to be the onionskin layers of Coruscant's planet-wide megalopolis, that point was brought home to him and the two other members of his survey team rather forcefully.

They'd been making their way down for several hours, tracking a faint and elusive power signature that just might indicate functioning technology of some sort. If so, it would be the first such find in this area, a former heavy industrial sector that the Vong had been particularly vengeful in remaking. Of course, what it might be, no one could offer even a reasonable guess. It was so deep underground that it was doubtful it had anything to do with the ruined production facilities above, and the signature itself didn't look like anything that would be produced by heavy equipment of any sort. It was something of a mystery, in fact; hence Garlan and his team.

Now, with uncountable tons of less-than-stable ferocrete groaning and shifting over their heads, the readings taken by Garlan's Bith sensor operator seemed to indicate that they were close. The signal was still weak, a small trickle of neutrinos indicative, perhaps, of an equally small or nearly exhausted fusion reactor. Small wonder no one had ever noticed it before, Garlan ruminated; with any background at all, it'd fade right away. But with no competition, the tiny stream of neutrinos sliced right through all that ferocrete and made itself known all the way at the surface.

"How much further, Zek?" Garlan asked the Bith.

Cocking his bulbous, bald head just slightly, Zek replied, "Not too much, Dax. About twenty-five meters if this thing is reading right."

"Huh!" huffed the third member of their team, a rather larger than average Sullustan by the name of Jyym Noarg, causing his dew flaps to ruffle with the exhalation. "About damn time! We must be practically walking on bedrock by now!"

"Closer than you'd think," Zek said somewhat ominously.

With little to say to that, the team moved forward in uncomfortable silence. As they walked, though, they couldn't help but notice that the corridor they were moving through now seemed, somehow, out of place. The level they were on, as deep as it was, had to have dated from the earliest days of Coruscant's human habitation, making it thousands of years old at least. But the corridor, while dilapidated and filthy, seemed to be of more modern construction. It was as if, Garlan thought, someone had had this section refurbished in the not so distant past. But the who, why, and even the how escaped him.

Rounding a final bend in the dark hallway, lit only by their hand and helmet lamps, the survey team found themselves face to face with a rather imposing set of jet-black duralloy doors.

Frowning, Garlan said, "Huh! And just what do you make of this, guys?"

Reaching out to run his sensitive fingers over some equipment recessed in the wall beside the doors, Zek said, "Palm and retinal readers over here; looks like someone didn't want any uninvited guests. But the question is-"

"Who is or was that someone?" Jyym finished quietly, and then added, "And, of course, what exactly would be worth keeping under lock and key way the hell down here?"

Still frowning, Garlan said, "Only one way to find out, I suppose. Unfortunately, we aren't packing anything that'll crack those doors. Any ideas?"

"Well," the Bith said, "I can try tearing into those readers. I might be able to rig something. Of course, they're designed to make that as difficult as possible, but..."

"Hold up a second!" exclaimed Jyym, who'd been studying the doors more closely than his companions. "It looks like the whole doorjamb has shifted. Probably happened when that Force-damned rogue planet, Zonama Sekot, buzzed the Vong and played seismic hell with the whole planet."

"Ok," Garlan said, a bit puzzled. "And?"

"And," Jyym replied testily, "now there's a little gap between them. They're not mated up and sealed like they're supposed to be. There's just about enough room between them to get the tip of a pry bar into."

"Well, alright then," Garlan said, dropping and then opening the small pack he'd been carrying. Over the course of the weeks they'd been working in Coruscant's underbelly, through trial and error, they'd found a number of basic tools that it always seemed handy to have around, and all of them carried such packs now. Fortunately, a pry bar was among those tools.

After fifteen minutes of cursing, groaning, sweating and straining on everyone's part, the doors finally yielded enough of a gap for the Sullustan, burly among his own people but diminutive by his companion's standards, to slip through.

As he entered the space beyond the doors, illumination slowly and automatically came up around him, revealing what appeared to be a small suite of rooms. And, as he saw what the large main room where he found himself contained, a faint gasp was forced from him. "Oh, sweet Sith," he said in a soft tone of incredulity.

Trying to force as much of his head as he could through the narrow gap between the doors, Garlan said, "What is it, Jyym? Are you ok?"

Shaking his head, the Sullustan said slowly, "Yeah, I'm ok. You just won't believe this..."

Arrayed around the periphery of the room were a number of transparisteel display cases, much like those found in museums all over the galaxy. But the contents of these display cases were far darker and more disturbing than anything to be found in the average museum.

The majority of the displays consisted of rows of preserved heads, suspended and spinning slowly in repulsor fields. There appeared to be representative samples of most of the sentient species of the galaxy present, but this was no dry, taxonomical exhibit. All of the faces on those dozens of heads were frozen in various expressions of agony, horror, or, sometimes, grim determination. And, below each and every one, was a slim, silver metallic cylinder; lightsabers, Jyym realized after a somewhat closer examination.

As he haltingly described this scene to his friends outside the doors, Jyym continued to carefully explore, peeking into the adjacent rooms. These, he found, comprised a compact but opulent living suite, complete with 'fresher and Holonet access, here deep in the bowels of Coruscant's underground. One room, however, was something else entirely.

Just off the main gallery, as Jyym found himself thinking of the grisly display room, was another small room, more of an alcove, really. In fact, the way it was styled, with a low, vaulted ceiling, muted synthwood paneling, and a single rough bench in the center, it reminded Jyym of nothing so much as a small chapel or meditation room. But at the far end of the chamber, where one would expect to find an altar or holy symbol of some sort, there was something jarringly different.

Suspended perhaps a meter off the floor, apparently by it's own repulsor field, was what appeared to be an ugly, black block of metal with a life-sized humanoid form embossed on it. As he moved closer for a better examination, however, Jyym realized with dawning horror what it really was.

"Sith spit!" he muttered under his breath, stepping quickly up to the block of carbonite with it's human cargo trapped inside like a fly in amber. Moving to the side, he quickly located the imbedded sensor modules and checked their displays. "Well I'll be damned... still alive!"

Turning quickly, the squat Sullustan sprinted out of the room as fast as his short legs would carry him, heading for the entrance and shouting, "Guys! We need to get a hold of the folks up top, ASAP! We've got a live one down here, but we're gonna need help!"

Luke Skywalker was vaguely uneasy as he entered one of the many treatment rooms aboard the medical frigate _Mercy's Light_, currently in orbit over Coruscant. His unease stemmed from a number of causes, not the least of which was the absence of his wife, Mara Jade Skywalker. But they'd agreed enroute that it would be best for her to tackle the planet-side half of this one, at least to start. After all, it had been the search team's preliminary hypothesis that the subterranean chamber that'd been discovered three days ago was most likely linked in some way to none other than the late and unlamented Emperor Palpatine; and who better to evaluate such a find than the former Emperor's Hand.

That in itself bothered Luke. Not only did he not particularly like the fact that, over twenty-five years after his death, the old Sith Lord was still managing to cast a shadow into the present. But, as well, Luke wasn't at all sure how he felt about Mara coming back into contact with anything that carried his taint. Of course, he wasn't concerned about any influence the place might have on her. He knew in his heart that she'd well and truly turned from the Dark Side years ago, and that she'd let nothing drag her away from him and their infant son, Ben. But he was just a little afraid of the memories that the place might dredge up for her; he loved her and very much didn't want her to end up suffering from old wounds.

As well, he was intensely curious, and more than a bit apprehensive, about the carbon-frozen stranger he was, hopefully, about to meet. Given the setting she'd been found in, and the length of time she'd been frozen, Luke couldn't discount the possibility that she was one of the Old Republic Jedi, possibly a peer of his father's or of Obi-Wan's. Forty years! That was the figure the medical staff had finally arrived at after examining the carbonite block's embedded equipment. Forty years... how much the galaxy had changed in that time. Luke only hoped that the mysterious woman, assuming that she survived the thawing process after so much time had passed, would be able to adapt.

As he strode past the sliding door, little Ben toddling beside him for lack of available child-care, Luke smiled and greeted those who'd preceded him there. "Leia, Han. Glad to see you could make it." Then, glancing around the room at Jacen, Jaina and the droids, he said, "And it looks like you brought the whole entourage along."

Leia stepped forward, smiling also, and wrapped her brother in a quick, warm embrace. "Well, we were sort of on a family vacation anyway, if you remember. You and Mara decided to take off early for Ossus, but Han was still taking all of us on a guided tour of the Corporate Sector when this came up. Naturally, no one wanted to sit this out."

From his side of the room, Han said, just a bit wryly, "Yeah, I figured it was kind of a moral obligation for me to be here. After all, this lady and me are part of an exclusive club; how many people do you know who've been lucky enough to get the deep freeze treatment? Besides, I thought I might be able to give her a few pointers; hibernation sickness is no joke, and I'll just bet forty years inside that block ain't gonna make it any easier."

Luke just shook his head, still smiling, and then turned toward the head med-tech who, at that moment, was fiddling with some piece of equipment next to the carbonite slab.

"So, Doctor-?"

"Morell," the tall, thin older man supplied.

"Doctor Morell," Luke said matter-of-factly, "When do you plan on starting the thawing procedure?"

"Oh, as soon as you're ready, I think, Master Skywalker," he replied. "Basically, we were just waiting for you. Since this woman just may be a Jedi, we thought it would be a good idea to have you, the nominal authority on all things Jedi-related, present."

Luke nodded slowly, and said, "That's how I understood matters, Doctor. And, to be honest, I would've liked to have had Master Cilghal here too, just in case, but she's tied up for the foreseeable future making the rounds of the reclaimed Vong-formed worlds. Unfortunately, there's no shortage of business for a Jedi healer these days."

The doctor shook his head sadly, and said, "Too true, I'm afraid. Still, with yourself here and at least, what? Three other full-fledged Jedi? I think matters are well in hand."

With that, the doctor gathered up the three other med-techs who'd been busying themselves around the carbonite slab and got down to business. After a final check to ensure that any and all possibly necessary support equipment was ready, the doctor reached forward to flick a few switches and turn a certain knob on the slab's self-contained thawing mechanism.

As the doctor's fingers gave the dial it's final twist, Luke was struck by a sudden premonition, a tremor that came to him through the Force. Whatever was about to happen next, he was absolutely certain, was going to forever change the lives of everyone in the room around him, and perhaps a great many more lives as well. More than that, he couldn't say.

As they watched in rapt silence, the carbonite began to quickly heat, it's color rapidly climbing the spectrum from flat black to dull orange, and then on to bright yellow and finally blinding white. After that, it began to melt and flow, sloughing away from the face and body inside. Finally, the stranger lay revealed before them, a smallish, attractive brown-haired woman who appeared to be somewhere in her mid-thirties.

With a gasp and a groan, she pulled fresh air into her lungs for the first time in over forty years, and immediately fell into a hacking, gasping cough. The med-techs rushed forward, gently taking a hold of her, reassuring her that everything was going to be alright as they moved her to a hover stretcher. Once that'd been accomplished, they quickly fitted her with an oxygen mask, and hooked her up to an osmotic IV feed, pumping in saline to stave off dehydration and shock.

As all of this was going on, the combined Skywalker and Solo clans kept a respectful distance, just watching the procedure curiously. All except for one, that is. Once the woman's face and form had been revealed, a certain squat, cylindrical, blue-domed astromech droid had taken a sudden interest. With a questioning series of beeps, Artoo Detoo slowly inched his way forward. In the excitement of the moment, no one much noticed this, or cared if they did.

Once the initial uproar had calmed down, and the woman was reclining more or less peacefully on the stretcher, Artoo rolled tentatively up beside it, and gave a somewhat longer series of inquisitive chirps and beeps. The woman, apparently hearing this, frowned slightly and tried to push herself up on one elbow. Her eyelids fluttering as she tried to open them, she croaked in a dry voice, "Artoo?"

The droid's reaction was immediate and vociferous. With his dome spinning wildly, Artoo began an ascending and increasingly excited volley of beeps, chirps, and squawks that finally hit a crescendo and ended with a little electronic moan.

Frowning, Han Solo looked over to the golden plated protocol droid next to him, and said, "Ok, Threepio, what gives? What's the little guy's problem?"

Sounding vaguely puzzled, C3PO said, "I'm not entirely sure, sir. He was just repeating over and over, 'It's her! It's her! I can't believe it's her!' That doesn't make very much sense to me, I'm afraid."

Cocking his head sardonically, Han said, "Well, genius, how about asking him just who 'she' is? Did that ever occur to you?"

"Well, yes, sir-" Threepio began, and then, realizing the futility of explaining himself to Han said, "Oh, never mind, sir." Turning to the other droid, he said, "Artoo! You rolling rust-bucket, what ARE you going on about? You can't believe it's WHO?"

Without turning his optical sensor away from the woman, Artoo threw a short, annoyed series of beeps and squawks toward Threepio. After that, he fell silent except for a repetitive series of low, soothing chirps directed toward the woman.

"Well, Goldenrod?" Han said impatiently.

His tone still puzzled, Threepio said, "I'm afraid I still don't understand, sir." Then, once more directing his attention toward the little astromech droid, he said, "Just who exactly is Mistress Padmé, Artoo?"

_Ok, end of chapter one. Hopefully this will be well received, and if so I'll keep plugging on. In case you're wondering, I do actually have a plot in mind for this, above and beyond the obvious. Please review, and don't be afraid to give the bad and the ugly along with the good._


	2. Revelations

_**Star Wars: Specters of the Past**_

_**By SSG Michael B. Jackson**_

_Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?_

His tone still puzzled, Threepio said, "I'm afraid I still don't understand, sir." Then, once more directing his attention toward the little astromech droid, he said, "Just who exactly is Mistress Padmé, Artoo?"

Artoo's reply was a string of chirps and squawks that simultaneously managed to convey incredulity and exasperation.

"How can I not remember?" Threepio said questioningly. "Artoo, what are you talking about? Remember what?"

This time, the tone of Artoo's electronic voice managed to convey a sense of thin-stretched patience, as if he were explaining something blindingly obvious to a particularly dense child.

"What?!" Threepio said incredulously, and then, "Why that's the most preposterous thing I've ever-!"

But before he could finish, Han Solo cut him off, saying in an exasperated tone, "Alright, Threepio. Calm down before you fuse a circuit. What'd the little guy just say?"

"He said, sir, that this woman, Mistress Padmé, is one of our former owners," Threepio said a bit indignantly, and then added, "Our original owner, in fact, over sixty years ago." Then, the electronic equivalent of a frown coloring his voice, he said, "But there's no way he could possibly know that, sir. Both of us have had more than one memory wipe over the years." And, addressing Artoo again, he said, "Isn't that right, you little metallic menace?"

Artoo replied with what sounded like an electronic raspberry, followed by a rapid series of beeps and chirps.

"Didn't I stash away back-ups?" Threepio said disbelievingly. "Well of course not! Even assuming that I knew how, the whole point of a memory wipe is to baseline a droid for a new owner. Do you mean to tell me that-!"

But before he could finish that particular line of inquiry, the woman, Padmé apparently, stirred again and said hoarsely, "Threepio? Is that you? You're here too?"

At a momentary loss for words, Threepio finally stammered, "Well, ah, yes, mistress, I mean that is-"

By this point, Han had heard enough, and butted in with, "Well I guess that settles that. Whether you know her or not, she sure knows you. Kinda' lends credence to what the little guy's saying, don't you think?"

Quiet until now, just watching the exchange between the woman and the two droids, Luke finally chose to step forward and speak up.

"Excuse me, Miss... Padmé, was it?" he said softly.

Coughing slightly, the woman replied, "That's right. But I'm afraid you have me at a bit of a disadvantage." Then, after a short laugh that brought on another coughing fit, she said, "Actually, a big disadvantage. I can't even see right now, and my throat feels like a few kilometers of Tatooine desert. I don't suppose you can do anything about either of those problems before we go on?"

Looking questioningly in his direction, Luke said, "Doctor Morell?"

"Well," the doctor said slowly, "There's really nothing we can do about her vision problem right now. It's just a side effect of the hibernation sickness, and will go away on it's own in time."

"Don't remind me, Doc." Han muttered under his breath with a shudder, quietly enough that no one but Leia heard him.

Oblivious to Han's remark, the doctor continued. "As for the dry throat, well, that's no problem really. I think she's more than capable of dealing with fluids right now, though I'd hold off on solids. Contrary to popular belief, metabolic action doesn't come to a complete halt under carbon freezing conditions, and, given the situation, I'd wager that the young lady here has not only exhausted whatever was in her digestive tract at the time, but has probably dug quite deeply into her body's reserves as well. Too much too soon would only make her violently ill, I'm afraid."

Nodding politely at the doctor's unsolicited explanation, Luke said, "I, ah, see. Can we get her some water then, Doctor?"

With a soft grunt of acknowledgement, the doctor turned and retrieved a plastic cup and a straw from a nearby cabinet and filled it roughly half full at the washbasin at the back of the treatment room. Returning to Padmé's side, he gently moved the oxygen mask aside and, touching the straw to her lips said, "Here you are. Just be sure to sip, not gulp, and don't drink too much all at once. If you do, I'm afraid it'll just come back up and that'll do no one any good."

Gratefully, she took the straw between her lips, and after drinking her fill said in a much more normal voice, "Thank you, doctor. That's worlds better."

Then, turning her sightless eyes in the direction she remembered Luke's voice coming from, she said, "Are you still there? I'm afraid my eyes still aren't any better."

"Don't worry," Luke said reassuringly. "It'll take a little time, but you'll be able to see again."

Nodding slowly, she said, "I guess I'll just have to take your word for that." Then, frowning, she said, "But I've got something a lot more important on my mind right now. Namely, where am I and what's going on here?"

"Well, for starts," Luke said slowly, "Right now you're aboard the Galactic Alliance medical frigate _Mercy's Light_, and at the moment, we're in orbit over Coruscant. As for what's going on, we were hoping that you could help us figure that one out."

"Coruscant?" She said with some trepidation. "The last time I checked, Coruscant was in fairly unfriendly hands. _Imperial_ hands. I really hope you're about to tell me that's not the case anymore."

Smiling, Luke said, "Thankfully, it's not. There's been no Imperial presence on Coruscant for- well, for a long time." Considering for a moment, he came to a decision, and then continued. "In fact, the Empire is gone, Padmé," Luke said quietly. "Well, most of it, anyway. And what's left of it is nothing like the Empire you must remember."

"Gone," she said in a tone fraught with hope and wonder. "And the Emperor?"

"Dead," Luke said flatly. "Over twenty-five years ago, now, though he did leave behind a few... tricks, I guess you'd say. But even those were taken care of a long time ago."

"Twenty-five years ago?" She said, her eyes widening in shock. "Just how long- how long was I in that Sith-damned block of carbonite?"

Frowning, Leia stepped forward and, sending her brother a hard stare said, "Sweet Force, Luke. Do you think you could've brought that up any LESS tactfully? Do you want her to go into shock?"

"Of course not, Leia," Luke said a bit sheepishly. "But diplomacy isn't exactly my strong suit, I'm afraid. Maybe you should take over for now."

Shaking her head slowly, Leia said, "I suppose maybe I'd better." Addressing Padmé, she said, "I'm sorry. My brother means well, but sometimes he-" And then she stopped, brought up short as she saw Padmé's eyes widen even further and the color drain from her face.

Concerned, Leia said, "Padmé? Are you all right? Do you need Doctor Morell?"

"No," she said in a whisper, "It's just- your name is Leia? Is that right?"

Cocking her head quizzically, Leia said in a puzzled tone, "Yes."

"And the other man, your brother, you said. His name is Luke?"

Still puzzled, Leia said, "Yes. Why do you ask?"

Swallowing a sudden lump that'd formed in her throat, Padmé said in a tiny voice, "You didn't grow up together, did you?"

Truly baffled now, Leia said slowly, "No. We were separated at birth because- well, for reasons that are way too complicated to go into right now. I grew up on Alderaan, and he was raised on Tatooine. We didn't even meet until we were almost twenty, and it took us quite a while to figure out that we were brother and sister. Now, if you don't mind, I'd really like to know just where you're going with this."

But instead of answering, Padmé just flopped back down on the stretcher, as if all the breath had suddenly been knocked from her. "Oh, Force," she said in a strangled whisper, "I can't believe this! I-!"

Worried more than ever now, both Luke and Leia moved to Padmé's side, and Leia said, soothingly, "Hey, it's alright. Everything's going to be fine. You just need to tell us what's wrong."

Padmé shook her head slowly, her eyes misting up incongruously, and said, "It's just-! I-!" And then, biting her lower lip delicately, she started over from an odd tangent. "I remember Alderaan before the Empire. Before the Clone Wars, even. It was such a beautiful place. Even after the Emperor came to power, it was still a citadel of light amid the darkness. And Bail Organa... Bail was always such a good friend to me. Someone I could trust, even in my darkest hour." Then, turning from Leia's puzzled and slightly shocked gaze toward where she thought Luke must be, she said, "And Tatooine. Tatooine has always been one of the cesspools of the galaxy, just a big fiefdom for a pack of Hutt gangsters, really. In fact, the only good things I ever saw come out of that world were a little boy, his mother, the man she eventually married, and that man's son and the son's wife. I'm so sorry you had to grow up there, Luke. I only hope that Owen and Beru were... good to you."

His expression now matching Leia's, Luke, normally the unflappable Jedi master, stammered, "How- how do you know all this? And- who are you?"

Padmé closed her eyes and ,bowing her head slightly, said in a soft, faraway voice, "I know because- because it's all a part of my life. That little boy from Tatooine... he was just a nine-year-old slave boy when I met him. But he was a hero, even then. He risked his life to help me and two Jedi knights get off of Tatooine after our ship had been damaged." Then, tears welling up in her sightless eyes, she said in a bare whisper, "The first time he saw me, he asked me if I were an angel..." She paused for a moment, swallowing around a sudden tightness in her throat, and then continued. "That little boy left Tatooine with us, and after helping to save my planet from an invading army went on to Coruscant to be trained as a Jedi."

She stopped there for a moment, working to control her emotions while both Luke and Leia sat in rapt attention, waiting for her to continue. Both of them had an odd, fluttery sensation in the pits of their stomachs, and somehow they both had an eerie premonition about where her story was going. Finally, feeling herself to be sufficiently collected, Padmé continued.

"He did become a Jedi, eventually, and the next time I saw him, ten years later, he was all grown up. We ended up on another grand adventure together, then, and somewhere along the way we... fell in love. We even married, in secret, even though it was forbidden; he was a Jedi Knight, and I was a Senator of the Republic. But we were young, and we thought that, somehow, it would all work out." There was another short pause, and when she continued, her voice was a bare whisper. "But it didn't work out. We could only keep our marriage a secret for so long, and then the Jedi Counsel found out. And even before that, things were going wrong. So many things had happened to that little boy from Tatooine, that man I'd married. Terrible things. He was full of grief and anger and frustration. The Clone Wars didn't help matters any, even though he proved himself a hero all over again. And then there was Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor at that time. No one knew what he was up to then, and no one knew the poison he was whispering into my husband's ears. Not until it was too late, that is. For him, for me, and for the Republic." She paused once more, and then continued in a flat, almost dead tone. "I lost my husband then. Along with just about everything else. He was still alive, but he was as good as dead to me and to everyone else who'd ever cared about him. The only thing I had left of him, as it turned out, were his children. I only thanked the Force that neither he nor Palpatine knew, and then did all I could to make sure they never would. That involved some... very hard decisions. I was only lucky that I had good people to help me. People like Bail Organa and Obi-Wan Kenobi. If it weren't for them..."

Then, turning once more to Luke, she said softly, "You asked who I am, Luke? Well, my full name is Padmé Naberrie Amidala... Skywalker. And the man I married was-"

"Anakin Skywalker," Luke said in a tone of soft wonder, both his and Leia's eyes wide and moist as they beheld this strong, sad, beautiful woman; their mother, they both realized with awe and amazement.

_That's it for chapter two. Hope this 'delivers the goods', so to speak. I sort of had a hard time with this, and re-wrote most of the chapter, trying to get the whole 'revelation' right. Please let me know if I was anywhere near the mark. Oh, and next chapter, I'll be dealing with some of the other members of the Skywalker/Solo clan's reactions, so don't worry about that._


	3. Complications

_**Star Wars: Specters of the Past**_

_**By SSG Michael B. Jackson**_

_Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?_

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this so far, I really appreciate the feedback. Don't know how quickly I'll be able to keep churning the chapters out, but I'll keep at it, mission allowing. And if you wonder what I mean by that, take a look at my profile; it says it all._

Then, turning once more to Luke, she said softly, "You asked who I am, Luke? Well, my full name is Padmé Naberrie Amidala... Skywalker. And the man I married was-"

"Anakin Skywalker," Luke said in a tone of soft wonder, both his and Leia's eyes wide and moist as they beheld this strong, sad, beautiful woman; their mother, they both realized with awe and amazement.

There was a moment of profound silence in the treatment room as the full impact of this revelation hit those assembled. Finally, the hush was broken by Han Solo, who said in a somewhat astounded tone, "Now, wait a minute. If I just understood all of that right then... this lady is supposed to be your mother?"

When neither Luke nor Leia was able to come up with an immediate response, Han turned to Leia and said slowly in a somewhat skeptical tone, "But isn't your mom supposed to be dead? You told me she died when you were a just a little girl, right?"

"I- I thought so," Leia said uncertainly. "I mean, I didn't actually _see_ her die. But one day she just wasn't there anymore, and- and when I asked my father, Bail, I mean, he said- he told me that she'd gone away to a better place. I mean, I was only maybe three years old; he knew I wouldn't understand if he put it any other way. Later, when I was older, he told me that- that she'd died. I never questioned that, I didn't have any reason to; but now..."

As Leia said this, she felt a small hand tentatively touch and then slowly enfold hers, and then Padmé said in a low, sad tone, "I'm so sorry that you had to grow up thinking that, Leia. But you mustn't blame Bail; he was only doing what I asked him to. I'd already endangered you enough by staying on Alderaan as long as I had. And not just you, but Bail and his people as well." She paused for a moment, sighing, and then continued. "The Emperor had put a huge price on my head, you see. I guess he saw me as one of the last loose ends he needed to tie up, one of the last links to the Old Republic that needed to be severed. Not only that, but- I think he saw me as a threat to his domination of Anakin. Somewhere in his twisted mind, he must have thought that I might be the only one left who had even a chance of helping Anakin pull free of that mechanized horror named Darth Vader." After another slight pause, she said, "At any rate, I thought it was best for me to be dead as far as you were concerned. That way, you wouldn't endanger yourself by coming to look for me someday. I... hope you can forgive me."

Placing her other hand over Padmé's, and on the verge of tears, Leia said in a ragged voice, "I do. When I was younger, I might not have, but- I understand now. You were trying to protect me. To protect both of us, really."

Sidling up to put a hand on Leia's shoulder, Han, apparently satisfied, said, "Well, that makes as much sense as anything else, I guess. So what now?"

Before anyone else could answer, Padmé, frowning slightly, said, "Actually, before we do anything else, I'm a little curious about just who else is here in the room. Being temporarily blind has some definite disadvantages." Then, turning toward where she'd last heard Han's voice, she said, "For starts, I'm rather wondering who you are. You seem to be very close to both of my... children and to the droids."

With his trademark grin, Han said, "Close? Yeah, I guess you could say that after a couple of decades of blasting around the galaxy with all of 'em. Name's Han Solo, and I gotta say, it's a pleasure meeting you. Especially since I never figured I'd get the chance and all."

"He's my husband," Leia said quietly, with a small smile, and then, mock-seriously, "And a bigger rogue and scoundrel you're never likely to find in this galaxy. But he does have a few... redeeming qualities."

"Thanks for helping me make a good first impression on my long lost mother-in-law, Your Worship," Han said sardonically, his even wider grin taking any sting out of the remark.

Hearing the undertone of love and humor between the two, Padmé smiled and said, "It sounds like you two are well suited to each other. You've been together for a long time, haven't you?"

Leia considered her answer carefully, trying to gauge just how much her mother was ready for, and then finally said, "For over twenty years now. Thirty, if you're counting from the time we met." And then, with a sigh, she said, "Thirty years, two full-scale galactic wars, the fall of the Empire, the rise of a New Republic that we helped build and then watched crumble, and... three children. Those are just some of the things we've been through together."

Padmé was dead silent for several moments, apparently digesting this, and then, in a small voice she said, "So long..." and then, in a tone laced with bitterness, "That Sith-spawned bastard Palpatine took so much away from me! I only hope he's rotting in whatever Force-damned hell he deserves!" After another moment's silence spent forcing back the hot tears that she felt welling up, Padmé said in a calmer and somewhat hopeful voice, "But children, you said? I'm... a grandmother, then?"

Both Luke and Leia smiled at this, and Leia said, "I guess you are. And, as luck would have it, all of your grandkids just happen to be standing right here behind us. Wearing the most peculiar expressions, too, I might add." And then, a shadow passing over her heart, Leia said in a low, sad tone, "No, that's not true. Not all of them are here. One of my children, he- I-!" But she could go no further, freshly stirred grief clutching at her throat.

"His name was Anakin," Luke said somberly, "in honor of his grandfather. He was a great kid, and a great Jedi. He... gave his life to save many others during the war with the Yuuzhan Vong. Who the Yuuzhan Vong are is something I just don't want to get into right now, but the war is over. We won. And we might not have if not for Anakin. You'd have been proud of him, Mother, and I know he'd have been thrilled to meet you."

This time she couldn't keep the tears from her eyes as she contemplated a grandchild she'd never meet, her Ani's namesake, and in a bare whisper she said, "Another thing Palpatine's taken from me. How I wish there were some way to pay him back..."

Silence enfolded the room again for several seconds, but was finally broken as, simultaneously, the Solo twins stepped forward and Jacen said, "All of us are sorry that Anakin is gone, Grandmother, but we've all chosen for the most part to celebrate his life, not mourn his death. It's what he would've wanted, I think." Then, grinning, he said wryly, "Oh, and in case you're wondering, I'm Jacen, one of the three Solo kids Mom mentioned. And that hand you feel on your shoulder belongs to my sister, Jaina. She's looking at you right now like she's afraid you might just fade away, and she's trying really hard not to cry. I guess she thinks that would be unseemly for an X-Wing squadron commander or something."

"Oh, like you're not a little misty-eyed yourself, dear brother?" Jaina sardonically.

"Never said I wasn't," Jacen said with a grin. "But can you blame me?"

Her darker emotions washed away for the moment, Padmé said wonderingly, "My grandchildren... Jacen, Jaina, I'm so happy to meet you! I only wish-"

"Grandmother," Jacen interrupted gently, "Wishing for the things that were taken from you is only going to lead you into frustration. Frustration becomes anger, anger becomes hate and- well, I'm sure you've heard all of that before. But instead of traveling down that path, please just try to accept and enjoy what you do have now. Let the regrets go. There's a whole roomful of people and droids here who'd much rather see you happy than sad."

Smiling, Padmé said softly, "You're wise beyond your years, it sounds like. And you're right. I need to leave the past in the past and start living for the now. After everything that's happened, it's nothing short of a miracle that things have worked out this way. I certainly do have plenty to be happy about."

"All of us do, Mother," Luke said matter-of-factly. Then, with a slight sparkle in his eye, he said, "And in case you were wondering, not all of your grandchildren are as grown up as these two."

Reaching down, he hefted little Ben, who'd been clinging to his leg quietly as toddlers are wont to do when they're unsure of what's going on around them, and settled him in his arms, facing outward. Leaning over Padmé, he brought the little boy close, and Leia guided her hand to his cheek, eliciting a giggle of delight at her soft touch.

"This is Ben Skywalker, Mother," Luke said in a tone of parental pride. "My son. He's only about a year and a half old, so I think you'll have ample opportunity to spoil him rotten before he grows up. And I think he'll appreciate having a grandmother around to cuddle him and tell him tall tales about her youth, don't you?"

"Of course," Padmé said in a whisper as she continued to stroke the little boy's cheek, an expression of rapt wonder on her face.

This tableau stretched on for several moments, but eventually was broken by Doctor Morell's quiet approach. "Excuse me," he said a bit abashedly as he reached Padmé's side. "I hate to interrupt what's obviously become something of an impromptu family reunion, but..."

Leia sighed softly, and said, "Let me guess; you have to."

The doctor nodded slowly, and said, "I'm afraid so. We need to move the young lady, -Miss Padmé, was it?- to a proper bed, and there are a number of tests that need to be run. Not only that, but, as happy as all of this has obviously made her, she needs rest. That might sound strange, considering that she just woke up from a several-decades-long nap, but it's true. That kind of hibernation is anything but restful for the body."

Luke nodded regretfully, and said, "We understand, Doctor. Just give us a another minute or so if you would."

"Of course," the doctor said with a gentle smile and then turned away to give them a few more private moments.

"Seems the medical authority has spoken," Padmé said wistfully, her hand still on little Ben's cheek.

Luke sighed, and said, "I suppose he does know best. Still-"

"Hey, don't look so glum, kid," Han broke in wryly. "You sound like your mom's being hauled off to the spice mines of Kessel or something. Once she's had a couple of hours sack time and the docs are done with their poking and prodding, I'm sure we'll all have plenty of time to catch up on the last few decades. And she'll probably be feeling a hell of a lot better, too."

Leia smiled, and said, "He's right, you know."

Luke nodded, and, turning back to Padmé said, "I guess they've got a point, Mother. But we won't be far away, and we'll be back soon."

"I'll be waiting," Padmé said with a quiet smile.

With that, Luke moved away, giving the others a chance to say their farewells, little Ben squirming in his grasp and reaching out toward this strange new lady for whom he felt an odd connection.

A half-hour later, the Skywalker/Solo clan had reassembled in one of the frigate's many mess facilities, both for a little light refreshment and to try to put into perspective the momentous event they'd just experienced.

At first, everyone was strangely silent, as if caught up in their own turbulent thoughts. But finally, the taut stillness was broken.

"We have a grandmother," Jaina said in an awed voice, as if the realization had just finally, fully struck her. And then, a bit sheepishly, she said, "I mean, it's just, I never thought-"

"I know what you mean," her brother said quietly. "It's just that other people take having their grandparents around for granted. It's... normal. And normal is something that's just never been _normal_ for us."

"Who're you tellin', son?" Han said wryly. "At least you had _parents_ around. Well, most of the time, anyhow. You're the only two in this little group who can say that, in case you didn't notice."

"I know that, Dad," Jacen said, "And I guess that's part of what makes this seem so... surreal. I mean, Mom and Uncle Luke have gone their whole lives without even knowing who their mom was, and now Wham! There she is, dropped into our lives in a block of carbonite of all things. Courtesy of Emperor Palpatine, no less. Only in our family, Dad, only in our family..."

"You don't sound very happy about this, Jacen," Leia said cautiously.

"Oh, no, Mom," Jacen said hastily, "Don't think that! I am happy; for her, for you, for all of us. It's just going to take some getting used to, that's all."

Luke nodded, and said, "I can understand that. This isn't a small thing! The things she knows, the things she can tell us! She grew up before the Empire was even thought of; she was a Senator of the Old Republic, from what she said! And she met our father when he was only a boy... I can't even imagine all the stories she has to tell." Then, shaking his head, he said, "What I really can't believe is that all this time, all these years that we've been searching for even a _clue_ as to who she was, she was right here. Right under our noses, buried under all those tons of ferocrete and duralloy. And I, the great Jedi Master, never sensed a thing. How's that for irony?"

"Luke," Leia said in a soothing tone, "Don't obsess about this. And don't you dare blame yourself! You're not all-powerful, and no one should be. There was no way for anyone to know what Palpatine had done, and we should only thank the Force that things have worked out this way." Then, smiling ruefully, she said, "In fact, if so many people hadn't died in the process, I'd almost say that we had to thank the Vong too. If they hadn't done what they did to Coruscant, no one ever would've found her, and she'd have eventually died down there all alone, with none of us ever even knowing." She shuddered just slightly, prompting Han to wrap his arms around her protectively from behind, and said, "It scares me to even think that that could have happened."

Luke nodded thoughtfully, and said, "You're right, of course. I should take the same advice Jacen gave her and just be thankful for what we've been given. Getting mad over lost opportunities will only overshadow what we can build from here. And think of that! Physically, our mother is a decade and some change younger than either of us! She probably feels like she lost her entire life to that carbon freeze, but she has a whole lifetime ahead of her! That's something we've got to get across to her as soon as we have a chance."

"Huh!" Han said, grinning. "The old 'squeeze-bulb half-empty or squeeze-bulb half-full' thing. But yeah, it sounds like the right course to set."

As Luke was formulating a reply to this, he was preempted by the arrival of a rather grim-faced Doctor Morell. Seeing his expression, everyone present felt a sudden foreboding come over them. Whatever he had to say, they knew, couldn't be good.

Of them all, Leia found her voice first. "Doctor Morell," she said in her best neutral diplomat's voice. "You... don't look happy. What is it?"

The doctor gave a long sigh, and said, "Your Highness, I- before I say this, I have to ask; is there anyone you'd rather have leave the room first? What I have to say might be something that, well-"

Steeling herself for what she was afraid was about to come, Leia said, "No, Doctor. Whatever you have to say can be said in front of everyone here. We're a family, after all."

Nodding slowly, he said in a remorseful tone, "Alright then. We've completed our preliminary tests, and... things aren't looking good. Not good at all. Your Mother's immune system is severely compromised just for starts, and there seem to be other systemic failures in progress. We've already begun empirical treatments, going after the symptoms, that is, but we can't pinpoint a root cause. Right now we're not sure if this is a result of the extraordinarily long hibernation, or if there's something else at work. There's just no other case on record like this, and without baseline data..."

"So what's the prognosis, Doctor?" Luke said in a leaden voice, sure he already knew the answer.

With another long sigh, the doctor said reluctantly, "If we can't figure this thing out, then there's a very good chance your Mother is going to die."

_Ok, I know! This is an utterly evil way to end the chapter! But never fear, I won't leave you hanging for long, and this is far from over. None of these characters are quitters, so you can bet they won't take the doctor's news lying down! Please review, and hope you're still enjoying this!_


	4. Dark Legacies

_**Star Wars: Specters of the Past**_

_**By SSG Michael B. Jackson**_

_Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?_

_A/N: Once again, thanks to those who reviewed, specifically voxenking, Justin-Mullens, Princess-Aiel, SoloKenobi and Scott Ferguson (I'm still avidly following your story, Altered Universe, by the way!). Also, to address some specific points made by AirAuthor: Don't worry; the droids will definitely have their part in things. For chapter three, though, I wanted to focus on the human members of the Skywalker/Solo clan's reactions. I tried to keep Jacen and Jaina as much in character as possible, and you really should read some of the books featuring them; they're interesting characters in and of themselves. As for the Clean-up crew, well, I never really intended for them to be much more than a plot device; I just tend to 'flesh out' even minor characters when I can. I've found that it tends to add a feel of depth to the story. However, since a couple of people have mentioned these guys already, I figured I'd give them a little more screen time in this chapter, and I might find something for them to do later too._

'It's a good thing I'm not claustrophobic,' Mara Jade Skywalker thought to herself sardonically as yet another low groan made itself heard from the less than structurally sound ferocrete labyrinth through which she and the three CRP workers were making their way. Aloud, she said, "So tell me again, guys. There's nothing to worry about, right?"

The team leader, a human of average height and build named Dax, or something like that, said, "Well, uh-"

"Never mind," Mara said resignedly, "Shouldn't of asked."

They continued on in silence again for a time, all the members of Garlan Dax's survey team casting occasional furtive glances in Mara's direction. None of them were used to working around someone who could only be described as a kind of celebrity, a woman who not only was a hero of the Yuuzhan Vong War and a Jedi Master, but who also, apparently, had worked in some capacity for Emperor Palpatine himself back in the days of the Empire. Needless to say, they were all more than a little intimidated.

Finally, the silence was broken by the Bith, Zek. "We're just about there. Another fifty meters down this corridor, down two flights of stairs, and then another twenty-five meters up a short hallway."

Mara nodded absently, and said, "Sounds good."

Within a minute or so, they found themselves in front of the same set of duralloy doors that had greeted Dax and his crew a few days ago. Just as they had been then, the doors were shut tight now, and Dax said, "After we got another crew down here to help us with that carbonite slab, we shut everything up again. We kind of figured that somebody would want to take another look at the place, and we didn't want to take any chances. You never know who or what might be creeping around down here."

Mara gave a short laugh, and said, "I can imagine. I've seen some pretty strange things in Coruscant's underbelly in my time, but I don't think I've ever been this far down before."

The Sullustan, Jyym, said, "I'd hope not. Nobody in their right mind would be down here unless they had to be."

"Other than Emperor Palpatine, apparently," Mara slowly. "But whether or not he was in his right mind is open to interpretation." Then, focusing on the doors, she said, "So, you guys ready?"

Dax nodded, and said, "Sure, but this is going to take a few minutes. We never had time to mess with the door mechanism, so we had to close them the same way we opened them: manually. And we're going to have to do the same this time, unfortunately."

Mara frowned just slightly, and then said, "Well, in that case..."

Narrowing her eyes, she concentrated, reaching into the Force, and then, moving her hands in an opening gesture, she carefully 'pushed' the doors apart.

The survey crew looked on with somewhat awed expressions as the doors parted, apparently through sheer effort of will on Mara's part. None of them had ever seen a Force-user at work before, and they were impressed, to say the least.

As the doors opened, something indefinable seemed to roll out, something that, apparently, only Mara could perceive, judging by the lack of reaction on the others' part. To Mara, it registered as something like a smell, but not. And it was very, very familiar.

"Palpatine." She said flatly.

Dax looked at her a bit curiously, and said, "Well, yeah, that's what we figured. Who else would've kept a place like this? But I thought we already-"

"No," Mara said in an odd tone, shaking her head slightly, "I mean I'm sure now. This is a place where he spent quite a bit of time. He's left an... impression here, one I recognize."

"Uh, if you say so, Master Skywalker," Dax said a bit hesitantly, obviously having no idea what she was talking about.

Mara shook her head, and smiling slightly, said, "Don't worry about it. It's just one of those Jedi things."

"Riiight..." Jyym said skeptically, leading the way inside. "Well, this is it," he said dryly, looking once more at the transparisteel display cases and their ghastly contents that had lately invaded his dreams. "And just as gruesome as it was the first time. If this place really was Palpatine's, it sure doesn't say much about his taste in interior decorating."

"Actually," Mara said, also examining the display cases, "It says a lot about the man. And none of it good. You realize what these are, I take it?"

Jyym nodded, and said, "A few dozen of the Old Republic Jedi, I'd guess?"

Mara nodded as well, and said, "Looks like. And as much as I hate to admit it, I think I can put names to a few of these faces. I think some of these are people I... helped run down."

This pronouncement was met with a chorus of stunned looks from the survey team, who suddenly wondered anew just what, exactly, this woman had done in the Emperor's service. Seeing their expressions, Mara shook her head, and said, "Don't worry, guys. Ancient history. But it does seem like some mistakes keep following you, no matter how far behind you think you've left them."

Without further explanation, Mara began to examine the underground chamber in somewhat greater detail, leaving the survey crew to exchange puzzled and somewhat nervous glances behind her.

After looking over the main gallery thoroughly, Mara moved on to some of the side rooms, and then paused in the 'chapel annex', as it'd been dubbed by Dax's team. Frowning, she turned to Jyym, and said, "This is where you found her, right?"

Stepping up, Jyym nodded, and, pointing to a slightly lighter section of the wall said, "Right back there. Sith-spawned place looked like a church or something, with her as the centerpiece. Damned eerie, like everything else down here."

Mara nodded distractedly, following... something, a feeling, a trace, whatever, toward the bench at the center of the room. Finally, slowly, she reached out to put a hand on it, an odd, unreadable expression settling onto her features.

"He spent a lot of time here," she said matter-of-factly. "His... taint is strong, especially on this bench." Then, shaking her head, she said, "Whoever the lady in the carbonite is, there must have been something personal between her and the Emperor. This is the kind of thing he reserved for people who were... special to him."

Jyym shuddered at this, and said, "Yeah, that's kind of what I figured. Lucky her, huh?"

"That's one way of putting it," Mara said darkly as she moved on toward the living areas.

Again she prowled around, following both her feelings as amplified through the Force, and her instincts, honed through years of covert operations and skullduggery. She searched all of the living areas in turn, but none really grabbed her attention until she reached a small room that appeared to be a workspace of some kind. It contained, among other things, a desk that appeared to be made of real hardwood, a formchair, a high-end computing system, and a Holonet interface. On the walls were hung various holos, paintings, and even a few flat prints, covering a variety of subjects, all of them dark or odd in some way.

Turning her head slightly, Mara said over her shoulder, "You guys might want to stay out there. There's no telling what kind of little 'surprises' I might run into when I start messing around in here. The Emperor was a little... touchy about his privacy."

Taking her advice, the survey team kept a respectful distance as Mara made her way slowly around the room, looking everything over carefully, and then stopped in front of one of the holos. It was a fairly long full motion clip, depicting the explosion of a massive star, the subsequent fiery death of it's planetary system, and the eventual collapse of the stellar remnant into a neutron star. She wasn't sure just what it was about that particular holo that caught her attention at first, but eventually she realized that it was the same thing that'd drawn her to the bench in the 'chapel'. The Emperor had once stood just where she was standing, and he'd done so often. There was then, she decided, more to the holo than met the eye.

Reaching out, she gently lifted the holo from the wall, and carefully examined both it and the section of wall behind it. She found nothing remarkable about the holo itself, but the wall, on the other hand... Almost invisible to the naked eye, there was a hair-thin crack that formed a rectangular outline in the wall. Smiling, Mara thought to herself, 'Even in an inner sanctum that probably nobody but you knew anything about, you were still keeping secrets. It figures.'

Examining the concealed safe closely, she realized that it was one of the models that incorporated a palm reader into the cover. Considering for a moment, she finally thought, 'What the hell. It's as good a bet as any.' With that, she placed her hand over the cover and pressed just slightly, activating the reader.

After a second or so, a metallic voice said, "Subject Jade, Mara, designation 'Emperor's Hand' identified. Access requires supplementary code. Please enunciate."

Biting her lip, Mara thought for a moment, trying to guess which of the myriad of codes she'd memorized over her years in the Emperor's service could possibly be relevant. Finally, she settled on one, a code that only became usable in the unlikely event of the Emperor's demise, if such came to pass. She knew that he'd had a sort of 'dead-man switch' system in place, and if he didn't periodically signal the system, it would presume him dead, setting into motion all sorts of contingencies. Force knew, they'd had to deal with a few of them in the decades since Palpatine's death. She just hoped this place had been tied into that system, at least until the Vong had come.

Figuring she had little to loose, unless there were countermeasures, which, considering whose little hideaway this was, wasn't unlikely, Mara spat out a complicated string of alphanumeric characters and code words. There was a momentary pause as the safe processed this, and Mara steeled herself to react to anything from an electrical discharge to a poisoned needle or whatever else the Emperor's twisted mind might've come up with. Eventually, though, there was a tiny beep, and the safe's voice said, "Code accepted. Access granted."

With that, the cover slid aside, revealing a sturdy-looking duralloy inner door with a simple handle. As the cover fully recessed, Mara heard a faint click, and when she turned the handle, the door opened easily. Knowing Palpatine as she did, there were any number of things that Mara might have expected to find inside. As it happened, what she found wasn't any of those.

On the safe's one shelf, a single standard data module rested. Cocking her head slightly, Mara reached inside and took it, and as she did so, she felt an almost electric tingle travel up from her fingertips. 'He handled this thing a lot,' she thought, mildly surprised. 'I sure hope it's not a home holovid of the Jedi Purges. _That'd_ really be worth my time and trouble.' But somehow she didn't think it was anything nearly that benign.

Pressing a small button on the side, she activated the unit's preview hologenerator, producing a miniature image above it. Usually, such previews were designed to provide a 'cut-to-the-chase' overview of what was contained on the unit, and this one proved to be no different.

The display showed two spherical objects, each with some sort of delicate ring-like structure around it, coming at each other from opposite sides of the projection field. Both were, as such miniature holos always were, drawn in simple wire-frame models, providing little detail or scale. Mara had no idea what they represented, but as they drew nearer and then finally collided, the display did it's best to render a fiery explosion, which was cut curiously short.

'Huh!' Mara thought to herself. 'That didn't look good. And what's this stenciled on the case? _Project Star-Hammer_? I have a bad feeling about this...'

-----------

Back aboard the medical frigate _Mercy's Light_, Luke Skywalker was thinking much the same thing. It had been several hours since Doctor Morell's dire pronouncement, and they'd heard nothing since. Apparently, the doctors and med-techs were still running batteries of tests and collating the results, and until they came up with something, Padmé was being kept in isolation. As ship's day had stretched on into afternoon and then into evening, the Skywalkers and Solos had kept a somber vigil outside the treatment room, hardly a word spoken between them. Finally, as evening waned into night, Doctor Morell had come out and politely suggested that since no results appeared to be forthcoming any time soon, it might be a good idea if everyone retired until the morning. No one had much liked this idea, but in the end they had to admit it was sound.

Now, Luke sat alone with his thoughts in the cockpit of the _Jade Shadow_, having long since put little Ben down for the night in the aft crew quarters. He knew that he should've been at least trying to get some rest, but he was sure that, Jedi meditation techniques or no, he'd be able to find none until he knew what was happening to his mother.

As these turbulent thoughts rolled around through his head, he noticed a familiar presence, always in the back of his mind, but now drawing closer. Smiling softly, he turned toward the ship's main hatchway just before the attention chime rang. He pressed the release stud, and the hatch slid upward, reveling his late-night visitor.

"Leia," he said, looking into her troubled eyes. "Come on in."

Wordlessly, she climbed the ramp and strode up to embrace her brother. For a moment, they just pressed each other close, and then, smiling a bit wanly, she looked up at him and said, "I thought you might need that. I felt the turmoil you're going through, and I knew you were alone over here. Except for Ben, of course, and I didn't think he'd be able to help you with this."

Luke sighed, and said, "I'm not sure if anyone really can, Leia. I just- I can't believe this. I can't believe that the Force would be so cruel as to deliver our mother to us after all these years and then take her away again. And without us even having a chance to get to know her. It's- it's too much like-"

"Like Endor." She said quietly.

Luke nodded slowly, and said, "Like Endor." Then, breaking their embrace, Luke turned and began to pace restlessly. "I saved him, Leia," he said in a ragged tone. "I did something that not even the Jedi masters thought could be done! I pulled Darth Vader away from the Emperor, away from the Dark Side, and brought Anakin Skywalker back to the light! There at the end, there was no Darth Vader anymore, Leia; there was only our father, restored to himself after all that time. I'd found him and I'd brought him back. And then-"

"He died," Leia said in a whisper.

Luke stopped pacing, hunching over one of the flight chairs instead, and said, "Right there in my arms on the cold, hard deck of that hangar. I'd saved him, and I got to know him for all of about fifteen minutes before he died. And you never got to know him at all."

Biting her lip, Leia said, "Luke, you know how I felt then. I- I don't think I could've even faced him, much less gotten to know him. It took years before I was even willing to have children, knowing that he'd be part of their heritage. I-"

Luke shook his head slowly, and said, "I know that, Leia. But you don't feel that way now, do you? And who knows how long it would've taken you to come around if things had been different. But that's my point; none of us ever had the chance to see what would've happened. What could've happened. And now it's happening all over again."

"Luke," Leia said imploringly, vaguely disturbed by the direction his emotions seemed to be moving in. It reminded her too much of one of the stories she'd heard years ago, when she'd been on Tatooine trying to recover the moss-painting _Killik Twilight_. She'd miraculously recovered her grandmother, Shmi Skywalker's personal journal, and, in the course of investigating what was written in it, had discovered the circumstances surrounding her grandmother's death.

She'd been told that Shmi had been abducted and tortured by Tuskin Raiders, Tatooine's much-feared Sandpeople, and that she'd died there in the Raiders' camp. But the disturbing part of the story had involved not her grandmother, but her father.

Apparently, he'd showed up at the Lars homestead out of the blue, and, discovering Shmi's predicament, had immediately set out to rescue her. Unfortunately, Leia was told, he found her too late, just in time for her to die in his arms. And then he'd done the unthinkable. Letting his rage consume him, he'd lashed out and killed every Tuskin in the camp, to the last woman and child, an act that any Jedi, even a Padawan such as he'd been at the time should have recognized as belonging to the Dark Side.

While Leia had no real fear of her brother allowing the emotions caused by their mother's plight to drive him toward the Dark Side, she was still concerned for him. She was afraid that whatever happened, Luke would end up blaming himself, perhaps for the rest of his life. And if that happened, Force only knew what it might do to him eventually. She knew that, however he felt, he'd continue to do the things expected of him, to perform the duties he felt he had to. But she had the feeling that if their mother died, some part of Luke would die with her, and he'd never be the same again.

"Luke," she said again, this time consolingly. But before she could say anything further, she was interrupted by a steady beeping from the ship's com system.

Looking up from the console he'd been staring at, Luke hit the 'acknowledge' key, and said, "Skywalker."

Through the speaker came a tinny but recognizable voice that said, "It's me, farmboy. And have I got a Sith-load of news for you."

Luke smiled, and said, "Mara. Well, I suppose I can say the same."

"Really," Mara said. "Do tell. I suppose you've got an ID on the carbonite lady by now?"

"You could say that," Luke said wryly. "Her name's Padmé Naberrie Amidala _Skywalker_."

The com was silent for a moment, and then, in a quizzical tone, Mara said, "Uh, last name's not a coincidence, I take it?"

Luke gave a short laugh, and then said, "Only if you consider her being married to my father a coincidence."

There was a low whistle from the other end, causing both Luke and Leia to smile, and then Mara said, "Well, I guess that might explain her 'place of honor' down there in Palpatine's little trophy room." Then, an incredulous note in her voice, Mara said, "So this lady is your mother, Luke? Are you sure? I mean, this was Palpatine's little collection, and you know the kinds of dirty tricks he liked to play."

"I'm sure," Luke said quietly. "As soon as the doctor started the thawing process, I felt that something momentous was happening. And when we finally realized who she was... it was like that moment on Bespin, when Vader told me who he really was. Well, I mean, really, it was almost the exact opposite of that moment, joyous instead of horrifying, but the same certainty was there. She is my mother. Our mother, I mean. And Leia felt it too, isn't that right?"

"I did," Leia said, "and she is. I'm sure of it too."

"Oh, hey," Mara said, a bit surprised. "Didn't know you were there too, Leia. But that's good, because you need to hear what I have to say too. But first, tell me this: if you two just found your mom after all this time, why do both of you sound so down? What's wrong?"

Luke sighed, and said, "She's sick, Mara. Dying, maybe. And so far, none of the doctors up here can figure out why."

"Sith-spit," Mara said bitterly, feeling her husband's pain both through his voice and through the connection they shared in the Force. "Well, farmboy, whatever's wrong with her, we'll beat it. We beat the coomb spores Nom Anor used on me, after all, and those were some of the nastiest little pieces of biotech the Vong thought up. If we can beat that, we can beat this."

Luke smiled, his spirits momentarily buoyed by his wife's words, and said, "You're right, Mara. We've done the impossible before, so we'll be able to do this." Then, frowning slightly, he said, "So what was your news? You said that both Leia and I needed to hear?"

Mara sighed, and said, "Well, actually, this probably needs to go all the way up to Admiral Kre'fey, and probably even higher from there. But you two will do for starts."

Also frowning now, Leia said, "Ok, Mara, you've piqued my curiosity. Just what exactly did you find down there?"

"Well," Mara said, "Let me put it to you this way. Both of you could claim to know Emperor Palpatine's character pretty well, right?"

A bit puzzled, Luke said, "Uh, I suppose so."

"And would either of you say that he ever struck you as the type of person who'd be willing to let anyone have anything that he considered to be his?"

Leia gave a short laugh, and said, "Not likely."

"Alright," Mara said slowly, "and here's the kicker. Do you two think he considered the whole Force-damned galaxy his?"

Frowning again, Luke said, "I think that's a pretty safe bet, Mara. Where are you going with this?"

Mara sighed once more and said, "Unfortunately, I knew Palpatine all too well. Sometimes, he could be almost childish about some things. And some children would rather smash a favorite toy with a hammer rather than see it go to a rival, right?"

Truly perplexed now, Luke and Leia looked at each other for a moment, and then Leia said, "Sure. So?"

"So," Mara said darkly, "I just found the plans for a hammer big enough to smash a galaxy with. And I'm pretty sure the little kid in question managed to give it a good swing before he was removed from the playground permanently."

_Well, chapter six turned out a little longer than the others, but I wanted to get Mara's little excursion in there plus a little brother-sister time for Luke and Leia. Next chapter, we'll find out a little bit more of what's wrong with Padmé, and plans will begin to be made. Thanks again for the reviews, and please keep them coming._


	5. Explanations

_**Star Wars: Specters of the Past**_

_**By SSG Michael B. Jackson**_

_Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?_

Mara sighed once more and said, "Unfortunately, I knew Palpatine all too well. Sometimes, he could be almost childish about some things. And some children would rather smash a favorite toy with a hammer rather than see it go to a rival, right?"

Truly perplexed now, Luke and Leia looked at each other for a moment, and then Leia said, "Sure. So?"

"So," Mara said darkly, "I just found the plans for a hammer big enough to smash a galaxy with. And I'm pretty sure the little kid in question managed to give it a good swing before he was removed from the playground permanently."

Neither Luke nor Leia knew what to say immediately, but finally Luke found his voice and said, "Uh, that sounds more than a little ominous, Mara. Care to elaborate?"

"Not over an open com," she replied. "But I plan on taking the first available shuttle heading your way, so I should be there in a couple of hours. I'll fill you in on the details when I get there, and it might be a good idea if somebody got a hold of Admiral Kre'fey in the meantime. I know he's busy, but eventually we're going to have to schedule a meeting. He needs to hear this."

Leia sighed, and said, "I'll get on that. Hopefully I'll be able to arrange something by the time you get here."

"Sounds good then," Mara said. "See you all soon."

With that, she cut the connection, leaving Luke and Leia alone with one another again. Both were silent for a moment, and then Leia said, "Well, what do you make of that?"

Luke shook his head and said, "I wish I knew. But it figures." Then, smiling wryly, he said, "When was the last time we had just _one_ crisis to deal with?"

Leia smiled as well, and said, "Right. Story of our lives, I guess." And then, sighing, she said, "Well, I suppose I might as well look up whoever the duty officer is this time of night and see about getting a hold of the admiral. Hopefully, with everything else he's got on his plate here, he'll be able to make time for a meeting."

Luke shrugged, and said, "I'm sure you'll be able to talk him into it. You're pretty good at that sort of thing, after all."

Leia gave a short laugh, and, as she turned to go said, "Thanks for the vote of confidence. And Luke?"

"Yes?"

"Try to get some rest before Mara gets here. I... know you try to hide it, but you still haven't completely bounced back from that amphistaff bite, have you? I mean, it's been almost a month, now, but- I can feel how tired you are. How run down you've been. You can't hide that from me."

Luke sighed, and said, "I guess I can't. And you're right; I'm still not completely well. In fact, I'm beginning to think I may never be. Jacen's anti-toxin saved my life, but I think some of the damage was permanent. But it doesn't matter; I'll manage."

"I know," Leia said softly, and then headed out the main hatch and down the ramp, leaving Luke once more alone with his troubled thoughts.

----------

When Mara's shuttle arrived, she was greeted by Luke and Leia, both a bit haggard from lack of sleep, a somewhat bleary-eyed Han Solo, who'd obviously just rolled out of his rack, and the twins, who, still having the vitality of youth behind them, appeared not to be bothered by the late hour. After a quick hug from her husband, Mara turned to Leia and said, "So? Any luck with the admiral?"

"Sort of," Leia said evenly. "Apparently he's way to busy to come over in person, or to set up a face-to-face meeting on the _Ralroost_. But, considering who was making the request, his aide said he'd be able to give us a few minutes over the secure fleet net to lay things out. All things considered, it's about the best we're likely to get right now."

Mara frowned, and said, "I guess it'll have to do. But the fact that he isn't prioritizing this high enough for a real meeting isn't a very good sign. I just hope he takes this as seriously as it needs to be taken."

Frowning, Han said, "Just exactly what is 'it'? And 'it' had better be good, considering what time it is."

Mara shook her head and said, "This thing is complicated enough I only want to try to explain it once. But don't worry, you'll get it all when I explain it to Admiral Kre'fey."

"Well, how about the short, short version then?" Han said a bit testily. "I usually at least like to know what system I'm headed for, if not the entire set of jump vectors."

"Han does kind of have a point," Luke said quietly, following as his wife turned and started heading for the medical frigate's communications room. "We'd all probably be better able to help out with the admiral if we knew what was going on."

Mara sighed, and said, "Ok, point taken." Then, running a hand through her hair quickly, she said, "Basically, what I found were the plans for a doomsday device. I don't think there's any other label that fits this thing. I mean, it makes a Death Star or a Sun Crusher look like a little kid's toy by comparison. And it's not something that's designed to be used tactically; the only thing it's good for is destruction on a massive scale. According to the plans, it was locked into the Emperor's 'dead-man switch' system, and would've begun operation not long after his death. The name of this thing, by the way, is _Project Star-Hammer_. That ominous enough for you?"

Slightly puzzled, Han said, "Uh, Mara, I hate to mention this, but- the Emperor's been dead for over twenty-five years. Last time I checked, we were all still here. Doesn't that shoot kind of a big hole in this _Star-Hammer_ of yours?"

Mara shook her head and said with just a bit of irritation, "I said it was complicated, didn't I Solo? It- well, hell you'll hear it all in a minute. But from what I read, twenty-five or thirty years might be just about right. This thing's got what you might call a long warm-up time."

Han snorted, and said, "That's an understatement."

----------

Inside the com center, Mara and the others were seated around the main holoprojector, which currently had a split display going. On one side was an image of the Bothan admiral, a thoughtful expression on his face, and on the other was an image of two spherical, ringed objects, currently frozen on opposite sides of the projection field.

"So," the admiral said slowly, "just what are we looking at, Master Skywalker?"

Using a laser pointer, Mara highlighted one of the spheres, causing the image to expand. "Each of the spheres is a neutron star," Mara said. "I'm sure you're familiar with those, sir?"

The admiral nodded, and said, "Supernova remnants. They're what's left of a star about, say, two or three times the mass of Coruscant's primary. Too big to just quietly fade away into a white dwarf, and too small to collapse into a black hole."

Mara nodded also, and said, "Right. And made of mostly solid neutronium, the densest semi-normal matter in the universe. Each one of these is only about fifteen or twenty kilometers across, but they both mass at least half of what they did when they were main sequence."

The admiral frowned, and said, "All very interesting, Master Skywalker, but how exactly do these fit into a 'doomsday device'?"

Mara cocked her head slightly, and said, "Have you ever heard of a gamma ray burster, Admiral?"

"From what little astrophysics I recall," the admiral said slowly, "it's a very bright flare of gamma radiation, isn't it? Caused by a huge explosion of some sort, I think the going theory is. But if I remember correctly, those are remote and ancient events. The only ones ever observed have been billions of light-years away, which also makes them billions of years old. Hardly relevant to anything in the present, I'd think."

"More relevant than you'd think," Mara said slowly. "From what I understand, the astrophysics community thinks that bursters can come from a few different sources. Some of them give longer bursts and some shorter. But all of them produce a huge amount of energy. In fact, for a very short time, a gamma ray burster actually outshines the entire rest of the universe put together."

"Huh!" Han said from his seat. "Doesn't sound like something you'd want to be too close to when it went off."

Mara shook her head, and said, "Not really. Basically, it's just the biggest damn explosion you're ever likely to see this side of the Big Bang. And that's what this thing is designed to produce."

Still frowning, the admiral said, "And how exactly is that, Master Skywalker?"

Highlighting the ring-like structure around one of the neutron stars, Mara said, "This is the heart of the system, sir. This ring, orbiting close in, contains, among other things, a massive gravity polarizing system. Now, notice the scale of this thing, sir. The ring orbits about a hundred kilometers out from the star's surface, so that gives it a circumference of a little over six hundred kilometers; this thing isn't small." Mara paused for a moment to let this sink in, and then continued. "Now, aside from protecting the ring itself from the tidal forces that close in, the system also acts as a huge sub-light engine. It distorts the star's gravity well so that the whole thing sort of 'falls' in whatever direction the ring orients it, and the system draws it's power directly from the star's gravity. As long as the star has mass, it has power."

After another short pause, Mara said, "Now, both neutron stars are equipped in the same way, and the idea is pretty simple. They're set on a collision course, given a good enough run to get up to relativistic speeds, and then Wham! When they collide, you get a short-period gamma ray burster. Guaranteed to be lethal to anything within several thousands of parsecs. But that's not all."

"Not all?" the admiral said in surprise. "Isn't that enough?"

Shaking her head, Mara said, "Not for Palpatine. I mean, sure, setting off something like this anywhere inside or near the galaxy would eventually sterilize just about every world you or I have ever heard of. But gamma rays only travel at light speed, so it would take at least fifty thousand years for the effect to propagate over the whole galaxy. Not only that, but even after everything had been wiped out, it's doubtful that it would be a clean sweep. Something somewhere would survive, and life would eventually get a fresh start. For Palpatine, that just wouldn't be good enough. Scorched earth meant scorched earth to him."

"Assuming that's the case," the admiral said a bit skeptically, "How exactly do you improve on the biggest explosion short of the Big Bang?"

Pointing once again to the ring structures, Mara said, "That's the other thing the rings are for, sir. In addition to all the gravity polarizing hardware, each of them is basically a big, one-shot hyperspace motivator, designed to be powered by the initial explosive wave of the burster. The rings will be destroyed along with everything else, but before they are, they'll shunt the entire explosion into hyperspace, where it can propagate out over the galaxy almost instantaneously."

"Now, wait a minute," the admiral said perplexed and just a bit annoyed. "What good would that do? What effect is an explosion in hyperspace going to have on anything in real-space? I mean, I'm sure that this thing could disrupt shipping all over the galaxy, but I hardly think that would've been worth the Emperor's time!"

"Mass shadows," Mara said flatly. "Think about it. All massive objects, stars, planets, whatever, cast a mass shadow into hyperspace. We all know that, because we've all flown at one time or another, and a mass shadow isn't something you want to get close to unless you want to come out of hyperspace in a hell of a hurry, probably with your motivator blown. But think about it. If a mass in real-space can effect you in hyperspace, then it must be interacting with hyperspace somehow, if only weakly. And if that's true, the reverse is also true."

"So what are you getting at?" Kre'fey said curiously.

"Anything that's massive enough to cast a mass shadow will absorb some of the energy of that blast," Mara said. "And the bigger it is, the more energy it'll absorb. From the calculations on that data module, it looks like most of the planets in the galaxy will soak up enough heat from this to turn their surfaces molten. But that really doesn't matter. It's kind of a moot point when you consider that the stars those planets are orbiting will have their core temperatures driven high enough to cause them to go nova. And it'll happen everywhere basically all at once."

An oppressive silence enfolded the room for a long moment after this, and then the admiral said, "You believe that this... _Star-Hammer_ could actually work, Master Skywalker?"

Mara nodded, and said, "According to all the data on that module it could, sir."

"And do you believe it was actually built? Or was it simply a design concept that the Emperor amused himself with?"

Mara sighed, and said, "Admiral, Emperor Palpatine wasn't the sort of man to content himself with design concepts. The Death Star got built, twice, in fact. The Sun Crusher got built too. So yes, Admiral, I have little doubt that this thing got built as well."

"If that's so," the admiral said slowly, "then why are the two of us having this conversation? The Emperor has been dead for quite some time now, and the galaxy still seems to be here. How do you explain that, Master Skywalker?"

"Admiral," Mara said just a bit impatiently, "As I'm sure you noticed, both of those neutron stars have to be shoved through real-space, all the way to their impact point. You don't normally find neutron stars stacked end to end within a parsec or so of each other, so there's a lot of distance to be covered, all at sub-light speeds. According to the data module, cruising speed for this whole ungainly rig is supposed to be about eighty percent of light. Now, there are several potentially usable neutron stars cataloged on there, all in a small globular cluster about three thousand parsecs to galactic north. The two nearest to each other were about forty light-years apart, so at that speed, you're talking about somewhere around twenty-five years from launch to impact. So, in other words, we're just now entering the window of possibility, sir."

The admiral was silent again for a moment, and then, looking around the group assembled with Mara, said, "And the rest of you? Do you concur with Master Skywalker's conclusions?"

They all nodded, and Leia said, "I think, Admiral, that if there's even a chance that this thing is real, we have little choice but to proceed as if it were."

"Leia's right," Han Solo said emphatically. "I mean, this isn't just one planet or even one system we're talking about going up in a blaze of glory here. It's the whole stinkin' galaxy. So unless you want to start investing in lava-resistant sandals and industrial grade sun-block, we probably should do something about this."

Everyone else murmured his or her agreement to this, and the admiral was silent again, considering. Finally, he sighed deeply, and said, "Well, I have the data, now that you've beamed it over. I'll have my people go over it, and I'll pass this on to higher. But this is probably going to take some time, and, considering all the other operations that are going on right now, I'm not sure what we'll have to work with. Still, I'll do the best I can. May the Force be with you all."

With that, he cut the connection, leaving a very unsatisfied group clustered around the holoprojector.

"That went well," Han said sardonically.

Mara shook her head, and said, "Yeah, real well. This is just what I was afraid of."

Luke nodded slowly, and said, "They've got so many ferocrete problems on their hands right now, they're not going to be in any hurry to jump at something like this."

Frowning, Jaina said from her corner of the room, "But, Uncle Luke, how can they not? Don't they get it? If this thing is real, and we don't do something about it, then none of the other problems is going to matter! Mopping up the Vong who haven't surrendered? No problem! That one will be taken care of! Providing relief for all the liberated Vong-formed worlds? No worry! None of them will be suffering anymore! If I can see it, can't they?"

Jacen shook his head slowly, and said, "C'mon, sis, you know better than that. If the people in charge always focused on what they should instead of what was right in front of their noses, we'd have beaten the Vong right at the beginning. For that matter, the Old Republic would probably still be around, and there never would've been an Empire. Politicians are far from perfect."

Raising an eyebrow, Leia said, "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, son."

"Mom," Jacen said abashedly, "I didn't mean-"

Smiling now, Leia said, "I know you didn't. And you're right. _Some _politicians have a lot of trouble getting their priorities straight. Trust me, I know."

Before anyone could think of a reply for that, Luke's wrist-com gave a sudden buzz, and, answering, he said, "Skywalker."

"Master Skywalker," Doctor Morell's tinny voice said. "Are you anywhere near the rest of your family?"

Frowning, Luke said, "You could say that, Doctor. Why, is there news?"

The doctor hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Yes, there is. And I think that, upon the discretion of you and your sister, all of you should hear this. Your mother included, I'm afraid."

Feeling a sinking sensation in his stomach, Luke said, "By your tone, Doctor, I gather it's not good news."

The doctor sighed, and said, "No, not really, I'm afraid. But- Well, it's something we need to discuss in person. How soon can you be here at the med bay?"

"Give us about five minutes, Doctor," Luke said, already striding resolutely for the door.

----------

They met Doctor Morell at the door to the ICU where Padmé had been transferred the night before. Wordlessly, he lead them inside, through the doors and through an osmotic sterilizing field, and finally to her bedside.

At the moment, there were a number of osmotic IV lines attached to a 'main-line' feed at her neck, and she still wore an oxygen mask as she had the night before. Multiple instruments stood at either side of the bed, their overlapping scanner fields monitoring every nuance of her life functions. In the center of it all, she lay, changed now into a hospital gown, her eyes closed in gentle slumber.

'She _does_ look like an angel,' Leia thought to herself, a lump in her throat as she approached. Behind her, the other members of her family pressed close, both to get a better view of Padmé and to draw comfort from one another.

From the other side of the bed, Doctor Morell reached out and gently shook Padmé's arm. She stirred slowly, and then, eyes opening reluctantly, looked up at him. Her eyes widened briefly then, and she said, "I can see. Doctor Morell?"

The doctor smiled gently, and said, "That's right, Padmé. I told you your sight would come back soon, didn't I?"

She smiled in return, and said, "Of course, Doctor. I-"

But then she noticed the others standing beside her, and, eyes widening again, fixed her gaze on them. "Leia?" She said wonderingly, looking upon her daughter for the first time in nearly fifty years. Then, looking over her shoulder to the sandy-haired man who wore a still-boyish if somewhat timeworn grin, she said, "Luke?"

Both of them smiled, and Leia said, "It's us, Mother. The doctor asked us to come back. He... has some news for us."

Padmé frowned slightly, and said, "The way you say that tells me that it can't be good." Then, looking back to Doctor Morell, she said, "Can it?"

The doctor sighed, and said, "I'm afraid not, Padmé." Then, pausing to compose his thoughts, he said, "On the plus side, we're fairly certain that we've found the root cause for the... complications that seem to be arising. Unfortunately, that cause is something that we can do very little about."

Han Solo frowned, and, stepping up slightly, he said, "Now, wait a minute, doc. After thousands and thousands of years of 'medical progress', you mean to tell me that this lady's got something you can't cure? I don't know about anybody else, but I think I'd like a second opinion."

The doctor shook his head slowly, and said, "Captain Solo, as much as I wish it weren't so, there are still things out there that we just don't have any real way to fight. And what Ms. Padmé has unfortunately falls into that category. There are, however... treatment options."

"Doctor," Luke said wearily, "Maybe you should tell us exactly what's going on here."

The doctor nodded, and said, "We ran just about every test conceivable last night, and what we found was that- well, systems all over your mother's body were just... failing. Not catastrophically, mind you, but a little bit at a time, their efficiency just slowly dropping for no apparent reason. Circulatory, respiratory, renal, liver functions, endocrine, all of them. Eventually, we traced this to some very subtle genetic damage, a bit like what you'd expect from radiation poisoning, but not quite right for that either. And then we realized that the damage was ongoing. There was something in her system that was slowly eroding the integrity of her genetic structure. Finally, we found it."

"Go on doctor," Leia said in small voice. "We need to know."

Looking down momentarily, the doctor finally said, "It's a viroid of some sort, just a tiny piece of RNA really. So small as to be nearly invisible, but extremely single minded in what it's doing. And terribly efficient. We weren't able to culture it, but, from it's behavior, I'd... have to say that it was engineered in some way, most likely to go specifically for your mother's DNA. And there's more, I'm afraid."

"Go on, Doctor," Padmé said quietly.

"This viroid has proven to be extremely resistant to any and all of the standard treatment methods we've tried. It almost seemed, in fact, to be... adapting to whatever we threw at it. That sort of behavior seemed somehow... familiar to me, and so I checked on a hunch." He paused for a moment, recollecting, apparently, and then said, "When I was just out of medical school, you see, I was conscripted toward the middle of the Clone Wars. The first posting I had was at a Republic Mobile Surgical Unit, a Rimsoo, they were called, on the planet Drongar. The only thing worth having on the entire planet was a local weed called bota that just happened to have amazing pan-species medicinal value, but in time even that dried up. Now, before you ask, the point of this is simply that every life form we ever cataloged on Drongar had one property in common; genetic adaptability. We even coined a term for the phenomenon: adaptagenic biology. And this viroid, you see-"

"Fits the same pattern," Jacen said, nodding slowly. "So you think this germ is from Drongar, Doctor?"

Doctor Morell nodded, and said, "Originally, I think. But I'm sure it's been altered; tailored to your grandmother, as it were. That kind of expertise is hard to come by, but it did exist, even then. And I'm quite sure Emperor Palpatine had no problem getting his hands on anything he wanted."

Standing behind her mother, Jaina clenched her fist angrily, and said, "So this was deliberate? That Sith-licking bastard did this to her?"

"Whoa, Jaina!" Han said mock-chidingly. "You've been spending a little too much time around the troops, kiddo. You're gonna blister your grandma's ears with language like that. Or at least the good doctor's here."

As Jaina blushed guiltily, Padmé just smiled gently, and, winking in her direction said, "I've heard worse. Sometimes out of my own mouth, no less."

Jaina giggled at this, feeling a sudden rush of warmth for this wonderful woman, her grandmother. Oh, how she hoped she'd get the chance to truly know her! And to love her, for years and years to come.

Doctor Morell, a bit discomfited by Jaina's remark, said, "Ah, well, to answer the question, yes, it was deliberate. There's no doubt of that. In fact, it's more than likely that the viroid was delivered along with the drug cocktail the carbonite block's thawing mechanism introduced. That seems to best fit the facts that we've so far gathered."

Standing at Luke's side, Mara sighed, and said, "It figures. That sounds just like his style." Then, looking to Padmé, she said, "Oh, and I'm Mara, by the way. Your daughter-in-law, so Luke tells me."

Padmé looked up at her, grinning impishly, and said, "It looks like my son's done pretty well for himself, then. And thank you for giving me such an adorable grandson."

Mara blushed just slightly, realizing that Padmé wasn't just throwing about pleasantries but meant what she said. She decided right then and there that she liked this woman, no small thing for Mara, and would do anything in her power to help her. Not that she wouldn't have anyway, considering who Padmé was, but her heart was firmly involved now.

"So," Luke said slowly, "What's the bottom line, then, Doctor? What's the prognosis?"

Doctor Morell was silent for a moment, considering his answer, and then said, "To the best of my knowledge, there's no way to stop the viroid's advance. The only remedy I could even imagine having any effect would be the bota I mentioned earlier, and it just doesn't exist anymore. The native form of the plant mutated into a useless state just before we pulled out from Drongar, and, in fifty years, all existing stockpiles of the original bota have long been exhausted. So I'm afraid the best we can do is to slow the disease's progress, and take up the functions of the systems it's disabling artificially."

There was a long moment of silence following this pronouncement, and then Leia said, "You mentioned a course of treatment, Doctor. What did you mean by that?"

The doctor sighed, and then said, "The one system that seems to be unaffected by the viroid is your mother's central nervous system. Peripheral nerves are being effected, but not her brain or spinal chord. I'd... almost have to say that this was deliberate on the part of whoever modified the viroid, and it does leave us... one course of action."

Feeling a curious foreboding, Padmé said, "And that would be, Doctor?"

Steeling himself for their reactions, Doctor Morell said, "As I mentioned before, we can take over the functions of the failing systems artificially. Mechanically. At first, this would be done externally, but eventually, implantable prostheses could be manufactured, and an overall support system could be fashioned. This would, in all likelihood, I'm afraid, end up taking on the form of some sort of full body support suit. It could be made comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing, of course, but..."

The doctor's words trailed off there at the expressions of sheer horror he saw on all the faces turned toward him, and, knowing a little bit about the Skywalker family's history, he knew why.

For their part, the entire Skywalker/Solo clan, Padmé included, suddenly realized just how twisted and deep the Emperor's game had run. Rather than simply wanting Padmé dead if she ever slipped out of his grasp, he'd wanted something far, far worse. He'd wanted her to face the _choice_ of either dying lingeringly and painfully, or living on as something that she'd never be able to bear.

As this realization cut through them all, Luke thought that, just for a brief instant, he could hear the barest hint of all too familiar laughter ringing in the Force around him. And to judge by the uneasy looks he saw from Leia, Mara and the twins, he wasn't entirely sure he'd imagined it.

_Ok, end of chapter 5. So, is this twisted enough for you yet? Don't worry, though, I love Padmé just as much as the rest of you. It just wouldn't be much of a story if I didn't put the characters through sheer hell, though, now would it? Also, any reactions to the Star-Hammer? It seemed Star Wars-ish enough to me, and I think it's the kind of toy Palpatine would like to play with, so let me know what you think. In chapter 6, we'll start to see what, exactly our heroes plan on doing about all this, so stay tuned, and PLEASE review!_


	6. Decisions

_**Star Wars: Specters of the Past**_

_**By SSG Michael B. Jackson**_

_Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?_

Steeling himself for their reactions, Doctor Morell said, "As I mentioned before, we can take over the functions of the failing systems artificially. Mechanically. At first, this would be done externally, but eventually, implantable prostheses could be manufactured, and an overall support system could be fashioned. This would, in all likelihood, I'm afraid, end up taking on the form of some sort of full body support suit. It could be made comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing, of course, but..."

The doctor's words trailed off there at the expressions of sheer horror he saw on all the faces turned toward him, and, knowing a little bit about the Skywalker family's history, he knew why.

For their part, the entire Skywalker/Solo clan, Padmé included, suddenly realized just how twisted and deep the Emperor's game had run. Rather than simply wanting Padmé dead if she ever slipped out of his grasp, he'd wanted something far, far worse. He'd wanted her to face the _choice_ of either dying lingeringly and painfully, or living on as something that she'd never be able to bear.

As this realization cut through them all, Luke thought that, just for a brief instant, he could hear the barest hint of all too familiar laughter ringing in the Force around him. And to judge by the uneasy looks he saw from Leia, Mara and the twins, he wasn't entirely sure he'd imagined it.

Padmé, a hard, unreadable expression on her face, her eyes firmly fixed at a point on the ceiling, said in a low, controlled voice, "I think you understand, Doctor, that that particular course of action is... unacceptable. And I think you know why."

With a long sigh, Doctor Morell said, "I suspected you'd feel that way. And I can't blame you, really. But the only other options I can offer you are pain management until this... runs it's course, or... voluntary euthanasia at a time of your choosing. I'm sorry that I don't have more to offer."

An oppressive silence followed this gloomy pronouncement, broken eventually by a somewhat indignant Han Solo.

"Alright, now that we've all had an earful of this gloom and doom poodoo, what do we plan on doing about this? Or does anybody feel like just sitting here and watching her waste away?"

Eyes narrowed in thought, Luke said, "There's still Master Cilghal. She's too busy with relief work right now to come here, but if we could bring Mother to her..." Then, cocking his head thoughtfully, Luke turned to Jacen and said, "Unless, of course, you feel up to tackling this. What you did during and after the battle with Shimrra and Onimi was... incredible, to say the least."

Jacen frowned, thinking back to the final battle with the Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong and with Onimi, the true power lurking behind Shimrra, who'd turned out to be even less than a figurehead. Jacen had achieved a oneness with the Force then that went far beyond anything that either he or Luke had ever thought possible, and that had allowed him to accomplish things that very few Jedi before him ever had. He'd been able to instantaneously counter each and every one of the bio-toxins manufactured by Onimi, and had been able to purge the poison delivered by Shimrra's amphistaff from Luke's body, saving his life. But Jacen had known then that the state of grace he'd achieved was a crowning moment for him, and that he'd most likely spend the rest of his life trying to attain anything even close.

Finally, Jacen said, "I... don't think this is something I should try on my own, Uncle Luke. When the time comes, I can probably help Master Cilghal out, add my abilities to hers, but I think she needs to be the one to lead. She's got a lot more healing experience than I do."

Luke nodded thoughtfully, and said, "That makes sense, I suppose. So it looks like we'll be going to her."

Next to him, Leia frowned, and said, "Hold up a minute, Luke." Then, looking to Doctor Morell, she said, "Can she even travel, Doctor?" And, waving a hand around to indicate the medical equipment strewn around Padmé's bed, she added, "Without all of this, I mean?"

"Well," the doctor said slowly, "Certainly travel wouldn't be the best thing for her right now. But given the circumstances..." He trailed off for a moment, considering, and then said, "I suppose it's feasible, but not without some portable equipment. She's going to need an auto-injection unit of some kind, and the drug-packs to go with it, and, considering the state of her immune system, a filter mask of some sort. Also, once the systemic failures become more advanced, she's going to need periodic kidney and liver dialysis treatments. And, to be safe, she should have at least a medical droid along to monitor; we can spare a 2-1B, I'm sure."

Leia paled at this medical laundry list, and said, "You have all this equipment on hand, Doctor?"

The doctor nodded, and said, "It's all fairly standard front-line and emergency response gear. There are certain authorizations that will have to be obtained, but all things considered, I doubt that'll be a problem."

"Well, it sounds like we're all set then," Jaina said from her mother's side. "When can we leave?"

"That would be up to the doctor, I suppose," Leia said, her gaze still directed at Doctor Morell.

Considering for a moment, the doctor said, "It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to get everything ready," he said. "As long as the authorization comes through."

Grinning rakishly, Han Solo said, "You just worry about your end, Doc. We'll take care of everything else."

The doctor nodded briefly, and, with a mumbled, "I'll get right on it then," shuffled quickly away to start the preparations.

Smiling, Luke turned to Padmé and said, "So, Mother, do you feel up to a little trip?"

Padmé shook her head, a small smile on her lips, and said, "Sounds better than staying here, waiting to die. And to judge by how quickly the doctor agreed to everything, all of you must be just as important as the nurses were telling me last night; according to them, you're all living legends. Heroes of the Rebel Alliance, the New Republic, and the Yuuzhan Vong war, so they said." She sighed then, and said, "I wish I could've seen all of that. Now I just hope that there'll be enough time for you to tell me about it all."

Reaching out to take Padmé's hand, Luke said, "I'm sorry that we haven't had a chance to talk yet, Mother, but once you're well, we'll have all the time in the galaxy. And I think I can safely say that all of us plan on taking up our fair share of that."

Padmé's smile widened, and she said, "I think I'd like that. Very much, in fact." And then, cocking her head slightly, she said, "So who's this Master Cilghal we're going to see? A Jedi healer of some sort?"

Luke nodded, and said, "One of the best we have. If anyone can help, she should be able to."

Beside him, Leia nodded also, and said, "She has experience with... similar cases. Years ago, she was able to diagnose and cure a mysterious ailment that was slowly killing Mon Mothma, the president of the Republic at that time. As it turned out, the 'disease' was caused by a swarm of nanoscopic droids that were slowly tearing her body apart at the cellular level; it was an assassination attempt. Master Cilghal wasn't even a trained Jedi at that time, just a medic with a talent she didn't fully understand. Now she's far better at what she does."

Padmé nodded slowly, and said, "I see." Then, frowning slightly, she said, "But did you say Mon Mothma?"

Leia nodded, and, curious, said, "Did you know her?"

"Years ago," Padmé said. "When we were both senators, and then later once I linked up with the Rebel Alliance. But president of the Republic!" Padmé shook her head and then said, "Neither of us would've dared to hope back then. Still, I'm sure she served the Republic well."

"She did," Leia said, and then, with an odd note in her voice, "And you were part of the Rebellion, Mother? I- we never knew."

Padmé smiled wanly, and said, "What else was there for me to do after I left Alderaan? Even while I was there, I was involved, though only administratively. After I left, I spent the next seven years helping to set up rebel cells and their logistical chains all over the Outer Rim. I'd have probably still been doing that when you joined the Rebellion, if I hadn't tripped across just the wrong Sith-damned bounty hunter out there. The rest, you pretty well know."

Leia just shook her head, and said sadly, "So much lost time. So many lost opportunities."

Padmé smiled, and said, "Remember your son's advice, Leia. Look forward, not back." Then, deliberately changing the subject, she said, "So where is Master Cilghal working right now? Where are we headed?"

"Last I heard," Luke said, "She was on a planet out in the Mid Rim, not all that far from Tatooine. It hadn't been hit by the Vong, but it was soaking up a lot of refugees from several nearby systems. Naboo, I think it was called."

There was a sudden startled gasp from Padmé, and, concerned, Luke said, "Mother? Are you all right?"

Regaining her composure somewhat, Padmé looked up at Luke, her eyes wide, and said, "Naboo?! Are you sure?"

Slightly puzzled by her excitement, Luke said carefully, "Fairly sure; of course I'll check before we go blasting in that direction. I take it there's something... special about Naboo?"

Padmé gave a short laugh, and said, "If you count home as someplace special, then I guess so."

"That's it!" Leia said suddenly, an apparent non-sequiter that mildly startled those around her. Then, a bit sheepishly, she said, "I mean, since I first heard your name, Mother, there was something familiar about it. I knew I'd heard it somewhere before, but I couldn't place it. I just assumed that I'd heard Father, Bail, use it at some point." She paused for a moment, and then, frowning slightly, said, "But now that you mention Naboo, I remember. When I was just a girl, just starting to study politics, I came across your bio on the Holonet. There wasn't very much information in it, and most of the links to your Senate record were dead, thanks, no doubt, to Imperial censors. All that was really there was your name, the offices you'd held, and the fact that you never completed your last term as senator. It didn't even say why not." Then, her eyes widening slightly, she said, "But if I remember correctly, one of the offices listed was Queen of Naboo! Is that right?"

Padmé sighed, and said, "Two terms, in fact, starting when I was just fourteen. I was kind of a prodigy, I guess." Then, ignoring her family's incredulous looks, she said, "But I said it to your father once, not long before we were married; I was too young when I took that office. He didn't agree, but I know it was his heart talking, not his mind. His memories of me as a queen were a child's memories, and he just didn't understand how... naïve I'd been in some ways. Neither of us really did, I guess. Not until much later."

Frowning, Luke said, "What do you mean, Mother? Naïve in what way?"

Padmé looked down briefly, and then said quietly, "I... allowed myself to be maneuvered into making some decisions that turned out to be... very bad. Early in my first term, Naboo was blockaded and invaded by the Trade Federation. I managed to get off-planet with the help of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his master, Qui-Gon Jin, and after the little side-trip to Tatooine where I met your father, we made it to Coruscant. I presented Naboo's case to the Senate, and they... were paralyzed. They weren't going to take action, at least not in time to do any good."

A curious note in her voice, Leia said, "So what did you do, Mother?"

In a very small voice, Padmé said, "I... allowed myself to be convinced that the problem was the Supreme Chancellor. I took the advice of my senator at the time, and I... called for a vote of no confidence in the incumbent. It passed, and Naboo's senator was appointed Supreme Chancellor in his stead. Naboo was saved, from the Trade Federation at least, but-" She swallowed, obviously distraught, and seemed unable or unwilling to finish her story.

From her place at Leia's side, Jaina said, "What is it, Grandmother? What happened?"

Biting her lip, Padmé said in a whisper, "That senator's name was Palpatine."

There were several gasps and other exclamations of surprise at this, but she pushed ahead regardless. "No one knew what he was really like then. He kept it so well hidden that not even the Jedi Council had any idea, not until it was too late. He used the Clone Wars to justify building up his war machine, and to militarize our whole society. People became so desensitized to the violence and so used to the 'extra security measures' he'd set up, the birth of the Empire became an easy thing. In fact, in the end, the Old Republic didn't so much fall as simply... morph into the Empire, one little piece at a time. And I'm at least partly to blame."

There was a moment's silence following this, and then, laying her hand on Padmé's shoulder, Leia said, "You might've ended up playing a role in Palpatine's plans, Mother, but you certainly weren't the only one. And you're one of the victims, not a conspirator; you were only trying to help your people, and you put your trust in someone you had every reason to believe was trustworthy. Palpatine was just one of the most accomplished and twisted manipulators who ever lived, that's all. We've all fallen prey to his schemes at one time or another, and, for that matter, it looks like we still are."

Catching a subtle nuance in Leia's voice, Padmé said carefully, "When you say that we're still caught up in one of his plots, you don't just mean my situation, do you? There's something else."

Leia sighed, and, turning to Mara said, "Mara? Could you bring her up to speed?"

"Right," Mara said grimly, and then launched into a terse, abbreviated description of the _Star-Hammer_ and the circumstances of it's discovery for Padmé. For her part, Padmé listened with growing horror, and asked only a few pointed questions, the most pointed coming at the end.

"So what's being done about this- this- _thing_?" She asked, her disgust at the very thought of an obscenity like the _Star-Hammer_ obvious in her tone.

Mara sighed, and said, "Unfortunately, that's the million credit question right now. Everything we know has been passed up the chain, but, with everything else that's going on right now, Force only knows how long it'll take them to figure out what, if anything, they're going to do."

Padmé shook her head, and said, "I guess some things never change, do they?"

----------

True to his word, Doctor Morell had all of the necessary equipment together and delivered to the _Millennium Falcon's_ cargo ramp in under two hours. He also had Padmé prepped, dressed, and ready for transport as well, but she flat refused to be pushed over in a hover chair or on a stretcher. She insisted, above all protests, that she'd get there under her own power or not at all.

"After all," she said to the doctor, "For all I know, this might be the last time I'm able to walk on my own. I'm going to enjoy as much independence as possible, for as long as I can."

The doctor had no reply for this, only wishing her and everyone else the best of luck.

And so, when Luke and Leia came to the ICU to pick her up, they were shocked to find her standing there at the doors waiting for them. She wore a deep indigo body-stocking, a matching cloak and a pair of rather practical boots of the same shade, all clothing that Leia, about her same size, had had sent over for her. Her hair, tied back in a rather severe pony tail until now, was done up in two thin braids in the back that'd been coiled up and fixed into two small buns near the top of her head on the left and right sides. Additionally, she wore a black, utilitarian belt that contained a number of medical items and sensors, with fine lines and an osmotic IV tube snaking out the back, running to various places on her anatomy. At the small of her back, attached to the belt, was a small, cylindrical filter module, attached to a thin hose and a small facemask vaguely reminiscent of the emergency breather equipment available on most starships. Most notably, strapped to Padmé's right thigh was a military issue blaster pistol, obviously fresh from the armory. As Luke and Leia goggled at this, she simply smiled in a satisfied way and said, "The Doctor told me that he'd been authorized to give us anything that he or we thought might be necessary for my continued health. I just convinced him that, as rough as everyone says the galaxy is these days, one of these might go a long way toward keeping me healthy. In the end, he had to agree."

Laughing, both of the twins fell in beside Padmé, utterly convinced now, if there'd been any doubt before, that this woman most definitely was their mother.

As they reached the frigate's flight deck, Luke on one side and Leia on the other, hovering protectively in case she should need any assistance, Padmé took a long look around, her gaze finally alighting on the _Falcon_. Her eyes widening, she turned to Leia and said, "That's your husband's ship?"

Suppressing a smirk, Leia said, "That's the _Falcon_, Mother. But don't worry; there's a lot more ship there than it looks like."

Padmé shook her head slowly, and said, "I guess there'd have to be. In a way, it sort of reminds me of the pod racer Ani ran in the Boonta Eve Classic. It didn't look like much more than a bin full of spare parts all thrown together, but it outran everything else on the field. I'm hoping this is a similar case."

Luke laughed, and said, "You're not too far off, Mother. But don't let Han hear you say that; Leia may be his wife, but the _Falcon_ was his first love."

Padmé and Leia both laughed in return, passing a rather puzzled Han Solo as they ascended the _Falcon's_ boarding ramp. Turning to Luke as he peeled off, heading for the _Jade Shadow_, Han said, "Do I even want to know what that's all about?"

Smiling wryly, Luke said, "Oh, Mother was just commenting on your engineering skills, that's all."

Raising an eyebrow, Han said, "Favorably, I hope?"

"Sure," Luke said, a twinkle in his eye. "She said the _Falcon_ reminded her of something my father put together once a long time ago. Something that... wasn't exactly pretty, but did it's job well."

"Huh!" Han said skeptically. "I guess that's as good a description of the _Falcon_ as any. Still..."

Luke just shook his head and, grinning mischievously, continued on toward the _Shadow_, feeling Han's less-than-mollified gaze burning into his back the whole way.

"Great," Han muttered under his breath wryly as he closed the ramp. "I've known my mother-in-law less than a day now, and she's already comparing me to Darth Vader. _In a good way_, no less. Like Jacen said, only in our family..."

The boarding ramp thumped shut, and a few moments later, the _Falcon_ lifted on her repulsors, pirouetting gracefully around it's central axis and then gliding quickly through the hangar's mag-field seal and out into the void beyond. It was quickly joined by the _Jade Shadow_, and both ships cruised outward on their sub-light drives, clearing Coruscant and it's environs in a matter of minutes. Then, coordinates set, both vessels lined up for Naboo and made the jump to lightspeed, leaving Coruscant behind in a rush of starlines. Ahead of them, they hoped, lay not just a planet from their mother's past, but a chance for her future. And theirs as well.

_End of chapter 6, and boy, was that a pain in the... well, never mind. It wasn't that the material was so difficult, it was just that there've been so damn many distractions here lately! I'm not entirely happy with this; I think it drags a little. Hopefully, though, it's sending the plot in the right direction, and next chapter we'll see some more interesting developments. Also, I know that this has been awfully short on action so far, but that will be coming later. There are still a lot of things for them to fight their way through before this is over, trust me!_


	7. Interlude: Homeward Bound

_**Star Wars: Specters of the Past**_

_**By SSG Michael B. Jackson**_

_Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?_

_A/N: Ok, I've hit this in the after-notes, but I thought I should mention it up front also. This chapter has a lot of Ep. 4-6 material in it, retold from Jaina's POV (family lore, since she hadn't' even been born then), and this is there to get Padmé up to speed, so to speak. Sure, I could have just 'Blah'ed it with a little phrase to the effect of 'and after two hours of non-stop conversation, our heroine now knows all', but I didn't want to do that here. If you think that would've been better, let me know, and I'll consider it next time. Still, I kind of enjoy looking at the road I take to get somewhere, rather than just taking a nap 'til I get there, if you know what I mean._

Once the _Millennium Falcon _and the _Jade Shadow_ were on course and boring their way through hyperspace, there was little for their crew and passengers to do for the next several hours. That being the case, most everyone ended up doing what space- and aircraft passengers had done for uncounted millennia faced with similar situations; they caught up on missed sleep. Granted, most of them would've liked to spend some time conversing, catching up on the decades Padmé had missed and the decades she'd lived before any of them had been born. But in the end, they'd all found themselves just too tired after the overly eventful day and evening they'd had, and everyone had simply retired to their cabins.

Unlike the others, however, Padmé found herself restless. She'd spent most of the last day asleep, never mind the last forty years, and even though she was still tired, no doubt due to the engineered viroid slowly taking her body apart, she found herself unable to get comfortable or settle down enough to sleep. Instead, she tossed and turned on the small bunk in the cabin that'd been lent her until, finally, she'd had enough. With a sigh, she arose and headed for the _Falcon's _common area, hoping to find some tea or milk, and maybe a light snack in what passed for the ship's galley.

The selection turned out to be much better than she'd thought it might, most likely due to the influence of Leia and the twins, and she took her snack back to a seat behind the holo-chess table once she'd finished preparing it.

Perversely, as she sat and sipped at her tea, she felt her eyes growing heavy, and before long her head was nodding toward her breast. At the same time, her fingers began to loosen around the squeeze-bulb of hot tea she held, and eventually it slipped from her grasp, falling toward her lap. As it fell from her hand, she started partially awake and made an uncoordinated grab for it, succeeding only in batting it into a spin that would undoubtedly splatter at least some of it's contents on her. 'Stang!' she thought sleepily, 'This is going to hurt.'

But before the squeeze-bulb hit, from out of nowhere a hand darted out and caught it, placing it carefully on the table in front of her. Startled, she looked first to the squeeze-bulb, and then turned slowly to see who her rescuer was, a "Thank you," already forming on her lips.

Her words died unuttered, though, as she beheld the slightly translucent figure standing beside her, a familiar grin on his face. He was older than she remembered him, but his wavy, shoulder-length sandy-blonde hair and flashing blue eyes were the same, and the merriment and tenderness behind those eyes melted her heart with recollections of better times. He was dressed in the traditional brown and tan robes of a Jedi Knight, and as she gaped, he reached out to brush her cheek tenderly and said wryly, "You should be more careful, Angel. As much as I wish otherwise, I can't do this very often."

Her eyes wide, Padmé said in a bare whisper, "A- Ani?"

The shimmering figure just smiled, all of the love and compassion she remembered shining through, and, as he slowly began to fade, said, "I'm sorry; I can't stay. But I'm glad you're back, and if I can find any way to help, I will." Then, his voice fading as the rest of him did, he added in a far away whisper, "Trust them, Padmé. They saved me; I know they'll save you too."

"Ani!" She said again, tears blurring her vision, "Wait! Don't-!"

But it was too late. By the time she'd wiped the tears from her eyes, he was already gone, the only indication he'd ever been there the squeeze-bulb sitting on the table in front of her and the lingering feel of his touch on her cheek.

For several long moments, she just sat, stunned, a hand to her cheek where his ghostly fingers had brushed, staring off into another, happier, time and place. Finally, a single diamond-bright tear welled up and slid slowly toward her chin and, a wistful smile on her face, she whispered, "Oh, Ani. I'm glad to see you too, even if it's only for a moment. Even if... I may be loosing my mind."

As she said this, she heard a slight noise from the direction of the crew quarters, and, not knowing what to expect, glanced quickly in that direction. But rather than some other apparition, all that met her gaze was a slightly rumpled and still rather sleepy looking young woman, a curious expression on her face.

Blinking as she stepped from the darkened crew quarters to the somewhat more brightly lit common area, Jaina regarded Padmé quizzically and said, "Grandmother? Is everything all right? Are you... crying?"

Suddenly feeling a bit foolish, Padmé looked down at the table and said, "I, ah, couldn't sleep, so I decided to look for a little snack in the galley, and then, after I'd sat down, something... strange happened. I... saw something and- I'm sure I wasn't dreaming, but-" Finally, she just shook her head slowly, and said, "Maybe it just had something to do with the viroid, or one of the drugs they're giving me. I just don't know."

Concerned now, Jaina made her way over, and, putting an arm around Padmé's shoulders, settled in beside her. With a slight, worried frown, she said, "What did you see, Grandmother? What's made you so upset?"

Padmé bit her lip delicately, and, taking an oblique tack, said, "Jaina, I... need to ask you something. I know I should probably be asking your mother or your uncle this, but- but I need to know."

Jaina's frown disappeared, to be replaced by a mildly puzzled look, and she said, "Well, sure, Grandmother. If it's something I know anything about, I'll tell you whatever I can."

Padmé nodded, and said, "Jaina, I need to know... I need to know what happened to Anakin." Then, seeing the look of pain that came to Jaina's eyes, she hastily added, "Oh, not your brother, honey! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dredge that up for you! I meant... your grandfather, Anakin." And, in a whisper, "My Anakin."

Jaina swallowed around the lump that'd formed in her throat at the thought of her brother, and said, "It's okay, Grandmother. I know you didn't mean-" Then, looking down for a moment, she started over. "Well, never mind that. But Grandfather Anakin... you're right, I'm probably not the best one to ask. Still... From what I was told growing up, everything all came to a head at Endor. I don't know if you've ever heard of Endor or not, but it's one of those funny worlds, a moon, really, orbiting a gas giant that just happens to be within the habitable zone for it's star system. Endor's a heavily forested place, and it's not only remote but obscure too. There's a race of sentients there, the Ewoks, they call themselves, but technology has never really been their thing, and the only time any of them ever gets off-planet is if they hitch a ride with someone. That, combined with the fact that Endor sits way out on the Outer Rim, almost all the way to Bakura, made it a perfect spot in Palpatine's mind to build his replacement Death Star."

"Death Star?" Padmé said questioningly. "I heard rumors about some superweapon not long before I was caught, and I think 'Death Star' was one of the codenames I heard, but... I never actually found out what it was supposed to be."

Jaina shook her head slowly, and said, "Thankfully, I've only ever seen holos, but- Well, basically, it was just one of the biggest artificial space-borne structures ever built by anybody. It was a fully armed battle-station as big as a small moon. And along with a whole Sith-load of conventional firepower, troops, and starfighter support, it carried one of the scariest strategic weapons the Empire ever built; a super-laser with enough punch to blow a planet in place. Unfortunately, Alderaan got to find out about that the hard way..."

At Padmé's gasp and wide-eyed look, Jaina suddenly realized that what was simply a historical fact for her constituted a mental and emotional bombshell for her grandmother, and, hastily, she said, "Oh, Grandmother, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- I shouldn't have- Oh, Force, why don't I think before I open my mouth?"

But Padmé only blinked a bit dazedly, and said, "The Empire... destroyed Alderaan? A whole planet? An entire population? Just wiped out?"

Jaina just nodded mutely, not knowing what to say.

"And Bail?" Padmé asked softly.

Jaina shook her head, and said, "Lost with everybody else, Grandmother."

"I see," Padmé said in a stunned voice.

Jaina took a deep breath, and, with a loud sigh said, "Well, at any rate, the first Death Star didn't last very long. Mom was already part of the Rebel Alliance, and she helped smuggle the plans for the Sith-damned thing to a rebel cell on Yavin IV. They analyzed them and found a weakness, and then managed to exploit it." Then, with a satisfied smile, she said, "Uncle Luke was the pilot who fired the magic shot. The 'Shot Heard Round the Galaxy', it was called." Then, her smile turning sly, she added, "Of course, both him and Dad agree that if Dad hadn't flown in to cover his afterburners, he never would've made it."

Padmé smiled as well, and said, "I guess I understand what the med-techs meant when they called all of you heroes, then. It sounds like your parents and your uncle started down that path at an early age."

Jaina shrugged, and, still smiling, said, "They're not the only ones. It runs in the family, I guess." And then, remembering Padmé's original question, she said, "Anyway, the second Death Star." After a slight pause to collect her thoughts, she continued.

"I guess Palpatine just had some kind of fixation for huge weapons of mass slaughter or something. Kind of makes me wonder if he wasn't compensating for something else." She shared a wry smile and a small giggle with her grandmother at this, and then said, "Well, having one Death Star trashed just didn't sit well with him, so he had a new and improved one designed, and they started putting it together in orbit over Endor. To make a long story hopefully a little shorter, the Alliance got wind of that, as well as the fact that Palpy himself was supposed to be making an inspection tour about halfway through the construction. Naturally, that presented an opportunity too good to pass up, so they pulled just about every rebel cell they could get a hold of into one big taskforce and launched an all-or-nothing offensive." She paused and, with a sigh, continued. "Well, it ended up working, but not exactly the way they'd planned. The whole thing had been a set-up from the start, and if it hadn't of been for Mom, Dad, Uncle Luke and Uncle Lando- he's not a real uncle, just an old friend of Dad's- everything would've gone sour. The rebels took some terrible loses, but the Death Star was destroyed, and the Emperor too. Of course, what went on inside, between Uncle Luke, the Emperor, and... Grandfather, well... that's a story unto itself."

"Go on," Padmé said, smiling encouragingly. "You're telling this just fine."

Jaina nodded slowly, and said, "Okay, then." And then, launching back into her narrative, "Before I can explain what Uncle Luke told us happened on the Death Star, you've got to understand some of what was going on between him and Grandfather. First off, up until about a year before that last battle, no one knew that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were the same person. If Owen and Beru had any idea, they took it to their graves with them, and neither of them would ever so much as discuss Uncle Luke's parents with him. I guess they were just too scared." She paused for a moment, and then continued. "The only information Uncle Luke ever really got about his father was from Obi-Wan, and, well, he kind of had his own ideas on what Luke needed to know."

Padmé frowned, and said, "That... sounds like Obi-Wan. What did he tell Luke?"

Jaina shook her head, and said, "Oh, he told him the truth. 'From a certain point of view,' anyway. At least, I guess that's how he put it later. But basically, be led Uncle Luke to believe that Anakin and Darth Vader were two separate people, and that Darth Vader had murdered Anakin, along with the rest of the old Jedi Order. To give him credit, I can't say that it's exactly a lie. It's true that when you give in to the Dark Side, you betray yourself and everything you believe in." Then, looking down, she added in a small voice, "Eventually, I can see it killing you, the real you, that is. And whatever was left... wouldn't be anything you'd want to call a part of yourself."

Catching the undertones of pain, regret and shame in Jaina's voice, Padmé's eyes widened just slightly, and, putting a hand over hers, she said, "You... sound like you're speaking from experience, Jaina. I'm guessing that the Dark Side is more than just a philosophical concept for you?"

Jaina swallowed against a sudden tightness in her throat, and in a hoarse whisper said, "I came so close, Grandmother. After Anakin, I- There were times that I wasn't even really in control of myself. My mind would just... go away, sort of, and when it came back- when it came back I'd be standing in the middle of a field full of dead Vong. Dead and roasted by Force lightening, one of the Dark Side's nastiest manifestations. I don't know how I managed to pull away, really, but one thing I do know; if anything had ever happened to Jacen, or Mom and Dad, if I'd lost them too, I- I wouldn't have even tried. I'd have ended up becoming something that Darth Vader, not Anakin Skywalker, would've been proud of."

Without a thought, Padmé put her arms around Jaina and hugged her tight, saying, "But you didn't, Jaina honey. You did come back, and I'm sure that Anakin, both Anakins, would've been proud of you. I know I am. And I feel privileged to call you my granddaughter."

Just as she had back on the medical frigate, Jaina once more felt a rush of warmth for her grandmother, and, impulsively, she said, "I know this may sound silly, considering we just met each other a little over a day ago, but- I love you, Grandmother. And I want all of us to be able to make up for all the years that we didn't have you in our lives."

Padmé felt her heart melt at Jaina's words, just as it had when she'd first touched little Ben's cheek, and a heartfelt realization came over her. Suddenly she knew in her heart that whatever she and Anakin had gone through had, in the end, been worth it. They had suffered, certainly, but there had been happiness too. And if this remarkable family, so rightly represented by the amazing young woman she held in her arms, was the end product of everything that she and Anakin had endured, then so be it. The price they'd paid had been dear, but little of true and lasting value ever came cheaply.

Aloud, she said in a husky whisper, "It doesn't sound silly, Jaina. And I love you too. That's what families are supposed to do. Love each other."

They just sat there for a long moment then, both drawing strength and comfort from the other's embrace, until finally the moment was broken by a polite cough from the direction of the crew quarters.

Both of them looked over a bit self-consciously, and, seeing Leia, Han, and Jacen standing there, all looking somewhat sheepish at interrupting what was obviously a private moment, they reluctantly released their embrace. But neither of them was embarrassed; both realized that they were all a family, and that in a family, a _real_ family, people should never be afraid to display their emotions for one another.

Still, there was a moment's silence while everyone tried to figure out something to say, broken finally by Han Solo.

"Well, ah, sorry to interrupt," he said a bit uncertainly, always the one just a bit uncomfortable with showing his feelings, even to those closest to him. "It's just a little hard to sleep with you two night-owls out here, that's all."

Both of them laughed, and Jaina said, "Oh, come on Dad. We weren't making that much noise. Not enough to be heard over all the wheezing and groaning this poor old ship makes whenever she's under way at least."

Raising his eyebrows in mock-indignation, Han said, "Hey, kiddo! This 'poor old ship' was hauling your little butt all over the galaxy when that little butt was still swaddled up in _diapers_, if you'll remember! Speaking of which, I _could_ remind you that a healthy amount of your potty training went on in that 'fresher right over there. _If_ I was the kind of parent to bring stuff like that up, that is. Let's have a little respect here, okay?"

Jaina flushed crimson for just a second, and then, giggling, said, "Okay, Dad, you win! No bad-mouthing the _Falcon_, even if she is a few dozen parsecs overdue for services. But I know we weren't _that_ loud."

Smiling, Leia said, "Well, not really. But you know how lightly your father sleeps whenever we're flying, and after all these years, I dare say that he knows every noise this ship is likely to make. Of course anything out of the ordinary is going to wake him." Then, frowning slightly, she said, "And besides, neither Jacen nor I could ignore all the little tremors passing through the Force out here. A really strange sensation woke both of us up a few minutes ago, and after that it was like an emotional thrill-ride out here. Naturally, we were curious."

Jaina shook her head, and, laughing, said, "I guess that's what happens when you live in a house full of Jedi; it's never enough to keep just your _voice_ down." Then, a slightly quizzical expression taking over her features, Jaina said, "You know, now that I think about it, it was a strange sensation that woke me up too." And, looking to Padmé she said, "Given the timing, it must've had something to do with whatever you saw, Grandmother. Don't you think?"

Paling visibly, Padmé said, "I- I don't know. I just assumed that- well, I'd just about convinced myself that I must've imagined it! But if not, then-" Her eyes widened suddenly, a look more of wonder than fear, and she fell silent.

Concerned as Jaina had been, the three new arrivals all moved closer to Padmé, and Leia said, "What is it, Mother? What did you see?"

But Padmé just shook her head slowly, and said, "Before I even try to answer that, I need to hear the rest of what Jaina was telling me." Then, turning to Jaina, she said, "Would you mind continuing, dear?"

Jaina bit her lip and said, "Well, um, now that two of the original participants are here, I'm not sure it's really my story to tell..."

Padmé just put a hand over Jaina's and, meeting the puzzled gazes of the other three, said, "Jaina was just bringing me up to speed on some of the things that have happened over the last three decades or so. I asked her what had happened to her grandfather, and she's been doing a wonderful job of not only painting the foreground but filling in the background as well. I'd very much like for her to continue, though I'm sure those of you with first-hand experience will jump in to help her out if need be."

Han smiled, and, turning his mischievous gaze on his daughter, said, "Go ahead, kiddo. I don't mind listening to a tall tale instead of telling one for a change."

Beside him, Jacen laughed, and, smiling warmly at his sister said, "Looks like the spotlight's on you, sis."

For her part, Jaina gave a long-suffering sigh, and said wryly, "You see what I have to put up with here, Grandmother?"

Smiling warmly, Padmé said, "I see," conveying to Jaina volumes of emotional understanding with just those two words.

There was a slight pause as Jaina composed herself, and then she said, "Well, let me see. Where did I leave off?"

"You'd just told me what Obi-Wan had said to Luke about Anakin," Padmé said slowly. "And, metaphorical truth not withstanding, I'm still trying to figure out why he put things just that way. It almost sounds like he was deliberately trying to turn Luke against his own father."

Jaina sighed, and said, "Unfortunately, we all think that's pretty much what he was trying to do." At Padmé's horrified look, Jaina hastily added, "But you have to understand, by that point Obi-Wan must've been desperate. We know, from things that came out a lot later, that, at the beginning at least, Obi-Wan still hoped that Anakin could be saved. But after years and years of living out there in the Jundland Wastes, hearing about Darth Vader and the Emperor's mounting crimes third-hand, and probably feeling every death through the Force throughout the Jedi Purges... well, I think he finally just gave up hope. In the end, I think he figured the best he could do was to help forge a weapon that just might be able to take down both Darth Vader and the Emperor. And Uncle Luke was it."

Padmé just shook her head slowly, her eyes wide and a sinking sensation in her heart, and in a bare whisper she said, "Oh, no. Force, no. Please don't tell me that- that Luke and Anakin fought and- and that my son... that he-!"

But before she could continue, Jaina put an arm around her shoulders again and, giving her a gentle squeeze said, "No, Grandmother, it didn't happen that way. Remember, I told you that, almost a year before Endor, the truth got out. Or, at least, it got to Uncle Luke." She paused for a moment, frowning, and then said, "He did something... well, not so bright, Grandmother. Heroic, sure, but bright, definitely not. If you can picture that."

Smiling once more, Padmé said, "From a Skywalker? I'd be surprised by anything less."

Jaina nodded, and said, "Well, the short, short version is, Uncle Luke was training under an old Jedi Master at the time, Yoda, and-"

"Master Yoda?!" Padmé exclaimed. "He was still alive then?"

Mildly surprised, Jaina said, "You knew him, Grandmother?"

Padmé nodded, and said, "For years, when he was head of the Jedi Council. We weren't friends, that kind of relationship wouldn't have been possible, but we did respect each other. And I always knew that he was the heart and soul of the Jedi Order. But you say that your uncle trained under Master Yoda?"

"For a little while," Jaina said, "but not nearly long enough. I guess he pretty much learned most of what Obi-Wan and Master Yoda thought he had to know, in order to stand even a chance against Vader. But it was a crash course, a few weeks that Master Yoda tried to cram decades worth of training into. And even that got cut short."

Frowning, Padmé said, "What do you mean? Why?"

Jaina sighed, and said, "You remember what I said about doing something not so bright? Well, this is where that comes in." She paused for a moment, and then said, "He took off before Master Yoda was through with him because he'd figured out, through the Force, that Mom and Dad were in trouble, and that if he didn't do something, they might die. The part he hadn't caught on to was that the whole thing was a set-up, a trap Vader had set for him, using Mom and Dad as bait."

Padmé's eyes widened, and, looking to Leia, she said in a small voice, "Oh, no. He wouldn't have..."

Leia just smiled wanly, and said, "He didn't know who I was, Mother. He only knew about Luke then. As far as he was concerned, I was just an uppity Rebel princess from a House that didn't even exist anymore. And I'm... glad that he didn't know then. If he had, he'd have wanted us both. He'd have wanted us beside him, serving the Dark Side and helping him to usurp the Emperor. That was his plan for Luke, and I know that he'd have been... delighted to include me if he'd known."

Padmé shuddered violently then, and in a tortured whisper said, "How could you, Ani? How could you?" Then, visibly forcing herself to relax, she turned to Jaina and said, "So what happened then, dear?"

Jaina sighed, and said, "Just about what you'd expect, I suppose. Uncle Luke came charging in and promptly got caught up in Vader's trap. Mom managed to rescue herself with a little help, and Dad... well, Dad ended up on a little side-trip to Tatooine inside a block of carbonite, courtesy of Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and Jabba the Hutt." Then, smiling wickedly at her father's involuntary shudder, she added, "But that turned out okay in the end, obviously." Then, picking up the narrative, she said, "Uncle Luke faced Darth Vader, just like he'd intended, but things didn't go right at all. He went in with incomplete training and bad intel, while Grandfather knew exactly who and what he was dealing with. Needless to say, Uncle Luke lost that fight. Badly. And then, after he'd beaten Uncle Luke down, cut off his right hand, even, instead of just killing him like he expected, Grandfather did something even worse."

"He told him," Padmé said in a flat, emotionless voice. "He told him the truth."

Jaina nodded, and said, "Yeah. And, delivered like that, it just about killed Uncle Luke anyway. Vader tried to talk him into joining him, I guess, said that together they could get rid of the Emperor and rule the galaxy together, or something like that. Naturally, Uncle Luke didn't want any part of that, and he just about died escaping from there. But he did get away, and he took the truth with him, even if he didn't want to believe it." Jaina sighed, and then said, "In the end, I suppose that's what made all the difference."

Jaina paused then, looking into the faces of her parents and her brother and, seeing only encouragement, she continued. "A lot happened to Uncle Luke over the next year, I guess. He... matured a lot, everybody says, both as a person and as a Jedi. Eventually, him and Mom and Uncle Lando managed to rescue Dad from Jabba the Hutt, and then-"

"You're leaving somebody out, kiddo," Han said in a quiet, sad voice that Padmé hadn't even guessed he possessed. "Somebody real important, to all of us."

Jaina swallowed hard, tears suddenly stinging her eyes, and said, "I- I know, Dad. But it... hurts so much, even now that I-" She stopped there for a moment, composing herself, and then said, "I did leave someone out, Grandmother, someone who deserves better. It's just that- he died, not so long ago; an early casualty of the Vong war, and- well, when someone you've known your whole life, someone who held you when you were a baby and played with you when you were a little kid and was just there for you always when you needed him-!" Her voice had climbed as she spoke, finally breaking at the last words, and the tears she'd been holding back so forcefully finally spilled over.

"Oh, Force," she said, angrily swiping at her eyes. "I thought I was over this. I thought once we'd had the memorial on Kashyyyk- but I guess you don't ever really get over a death in the family. And that's what Chewbacca was, Grandmother; family. As surely as if we'd shared the same blood."

"Kashyyyk," Padmé said slowly. "He was a Wookie, then, your friend?"

Jaina nodded slowly, and said, "He'd been Dad's friend forever, for years before they ever met Mom or Uncle Luke. He owed Dad a life-debt, and if you know anything about Wookies, you know what a life-debt means."

Padmé nodded also, and said, "I understand. And I'm guessing that he felt that that life-debt extended to your father's relatives as well. To his children."

Jaina nodded once more, mutely, not trusting herself to say anything more on the subject.

Padmé smiled sympathetically, and said, "I think I can see why you miss him so, then. Wookies are legendary for their fierceness, but once you know a little bit more about them, you find that they're also known for their gentleness and their intensely protective nature towards their friends. And I've never heard of a Wookie who didn't like children." She paused for a moment, and then said, "Not many little girls or boys are privileged to have a Wookie for an 'uncle' while they're growing up. I'm just sorry that I never had a chance to meet your friend, and to thank him for watching over my grandchildren."

A moment's silence followed Padmé's words, and then Jaina, having regained control of herself, continued.

"Chewie was there too," she said evenly, the effort obvious. "He was always there, from the beginning, and if I don't mention him, it's not because I don't care. It's because I care too much still, and it... still hurts so much to remember he's gone. But I'll muddle through." She sighed deeply then, and said, "Anyway, after Dad was rescued, things moved along pretty quickly if I remember right. A lot of little things happened along the way, and- don't give me that look, Dad. I know they weren't little to you. But Grandmother had a question, and I'd like to get to the answer some time before we drop out of hyperspace."

Han rolled his eyes, and said, "Sure, who am I to interrupt? I was only _there_, after all. While you, on the other hand, were just a-"

"Dad!" Jaina said sharply, just a hint of a grin, entirely too much like his own, he noted, taking the edge off her tone. "What was it you said about not blistering people's ears back at the med-bay?"

"Okay!" Han said, throwing up his hands in mock-surrender. "I give! Tell it your way, kiddo."

Jaina shook her head and then said, "Well, everything pretty much led right into the big naval battle I mentioned before. The catch was, the whole half-built station was being protected by a planetary-grade shield, being projected up from Endor. Naturally, they needed a ground assault team to take that out, and I bet you can guess who ended up on that." She paused, taking in Padmé's reaction, and then said, "There were a few problems with that, but everything ended up working out in the end. All except for one thing, that is."

"Luke," Padmé said flatly.

Jaina nodded, and said, "He'd had a lot of time to think over that year, and I guess he'd had a couple more conversations with Obi-Wan and Master Yoda too. Which was no mean feat, considering that they were both dead by that time."

Padmé gasped, and said, "Jaina, you mean to say that both Obi-Wan and Master Yoda were still somehow able to communicate with Luke, even after they were..."

Jaina nodded again, and said, "Apparently, it's something that some extremely powerful Jedi could do. A lost technique of some sort, we're all guessing. And it's real enough; I think all of us Force-sensitives have had... experiences at one time or another."

Padmé only nodded, and said in a small voice, "I'll... have to take your word for it, I guess."

Beginning once more, Jaina said, "From what Uncle Luke's told us over the years, he wrestled with his conscience for most of that year. He wasn't sure at first whether Vader was even telling him the truth, despite having felt through the Force that he was. Eventually, he accepted it, and apparently Yoda and Obi-Wan eventually confirmed things. That was also, I gather, when he found out about his relationship to Mom. I can't imagine how hard all of that must've been for him."

Padmé just shook her head, her eyes full of compassion for her son.

"What he finally decided," Jaina said, "was that he just couldn't do it. He told us that, once he knew what was going on, he realized that there was no way he'd be able to kill his own father. And that left him with only one option."

"He decided he was going to save him," Padmé said in a tone of mild wonder.

Jaina nodded, and said, "That was his decision; to either save his father or die trying. And I don't really think he was very sure how it was going to come out." She paused for a moment, trying to recall just how her uncle had told the tale, and then continued.

"He gave himself up to Vader, down there on Endor, and tried to talk him into leaving the Emperor. I remember he said that he could actually feel the conflict inside Grandfather, that it wasn't just bravado when he said that to him. He even said that at one point he almost thought he'd won, that he felt Grandfather teetering on the edge. But it didn't work. He was still too tightly bound to the Emperor and to the Dark Side. He took Uncle Luke up to the Death Star and presented him to the Emperor, hoping that between the two of them they could get him to turn. I guess that's when Palpatine let Luke know about the trap he'd set for the Rebel offensive, and apparently he threw a lot of other things out there too." She paused once more, taking in Padmé's rapt expression, and then said, "In the end, there was a fight. The Emperor instigated it, and then sat back to watch like the cowardly Sith-spawn he was, doing everything he could to goad Uncle Luke into calling on the Dark Side. Things went back and forth then, until something really bad happened. During a lull in the fight, Vader managed to pick up on some of what was going through Uncle Luke's mind, and he found out about Mom. Once that'd happened, he made the mistake of telling Luke that if things didn't work out with him, he'd go after her. And then things got ugly."

Padmé closed her eyes, the pain of imagining her husband and their son locked together in a battle to the finish written plainly on her face. But finally she opened her eyes, and when Jaina saw that she was ready to hear the rest, she continued.

"I don't really know all of what happened next. None of us do, because Uncle Luke won't talk about it to this day. I don't know if he called on the Dark Side or not, but- well, he won. He beat Vader down, and almost killed him, I guess. But he didn't. He refused to give in, to kill his own father. He told the Emperor that he wouldn't, and that he'd never join him because he was a Jedi, like his father had been before him. And he said all that with Vader at his feet." She paused again, thinking, and then said, "That must have struck something in Grandfather, I think. I guess we'll never know, but I think that just pushed along something that Uncle Luke had started earlier and... Well, the Emperor didn't take that very well. He figured he didn't have any more use for a Skywalker who wouldn't serve him, so he decided to fry Uncle Luke with that Force-lightening I mentioned earlier." She shook her head then, and said, "A Master Jedi, or even an experienced Knight might've been able to protect themselves from that, but Uncle Luke had never even heard of anything like it before. He was helpless. And he would've died then, but-"

"Anakin," Padmé breathed, unshed tears rimming her eyes.

Jaina smiled, and said, "Yeah, Anakin. I guess watching that old corpse electrocute his only son while he begged for Grandfather's help was just too much for him. Finally, he did what he should have in the beginning; he killed Palpatine. Dumped him over the railing into the station's reactor core, Uncle Luke said. And good riddance to bad rubbish."

"And then?" Padmé said, something akin to hope written large on her face.

"And then," Jaina said sadly, "Uncle Luke did his best to drag Grandfather off that station. The shield was down by then, and the station was history. It was falling apart around them, and the main reactor was just a few minutes from turning into a miniature nova, courtesy of Uncle Lando. But... well, Grandfather's injuries were just too severe. Not the ones Uncle Luke had given him, necessarily, but more the damage done to his life support gear by the Emperor's lightening bolts. This is something else that Uncle Luke hardly ever talks about, so I don't know all the details, but... Grandfather died there on that battle-station. In Uncle Luke's arms, if I had to guess." And then, seeing her Grandmother's tears finally come spilling over, she said softly, "But one thing Uncle Luke has always said; there, at the end, Darth Vader was gone. He hadn't beaten him, Grandfather had. He made the choice that freed him, finally. And the man who died there in my uncle's arms wasn't Darth Vader; he was Anakin Skywalker, redeemed and once more a part of the Light."

As Jaina ended her story, the dam behind which Padmé's emotions had been swelling finally burst, and the tears sliding down her cheeks were joined by deep racking sobs. Jaina immediately wrapped her in a warm hug, just letting her cry the grief out as she knew she'd have to.

"Ani!" She said in a broken whisper, "My Ani! Why? Why did it have to be this way? Why did it take- take our son almost being murdered by that madman to- to set you free? Couldn't you see? What he was? What we could've had? I-!" But her voice broke there, grief momentarily overwhelming her, and she just sobbed and clung to her granddaughter, one of the few bright rays of sunshine in the darkness that seemed to surrounded her life.

But then, in the midst of her sorrow, while all those around her came close and offered what soothing words they could, another, familiar, voice, heard not with her ears but with her heart briefly made itself known.

"Don't cry, Angel," it whispered tenderly, the strain of making itself heard obvious. "I told you; they saved me. _He_ saved me. And because of that, someday we'll be together again. But not now. Not so soon. I've had an angel in my life; now they deserve to have one too."

_Holy cow, FINALLY the end of chapter 7, and yes, it's a monster. I realize it's a lot of 'fluff', but sometimes I like fluff, and I thought this was fluff that needed to be covered. Apologies for the long retelling of a lot of stuff that we already know, but Padmé didn't know it all, and I wanted character POV's and her reactions. Plus, for some reason, I feel one of those special grandparent/grandchild bonds coming on between her and Jaina (I don't know why!), and I wanted to develop that a little. If this is too long, or too much regurgitated goo, let me know, and I'll work to cut down on it next time. Oh, and PLEASE review!! Thanks._


	8. Homecoming

_**Star Wars: Specters of the Past**_

_**By SSG Michael B. Jackson**_

_Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?_

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and here are some specific replies._

_**SeanWH: **Glad to see that you didn't mind Jaina's little story. And I think you're right; too many of the EU stories I've read just don't pay enough attention to the bonds of family in the Skywalker/Solo clan. That's almost entirely what this story is about, BTW!_

_**Beornthryth:** So you liked Jaina's little Palpatine innuendo, huh? I just couldn't pass that one up. And I guess you picked up on what I was trying for pretty well; I wanted to present things from a character POV, and I thought Jaina was the best candidate. _

_**AirAuthor:** So you want more of Ani, huh? Well, he won't constantly be haunting poor Padmé, but he will definitely have a role (possibly a pivotal one) later in the story. And if you're wondering, my rationale for his sudden strong manifestation is simply that he has a much stronger connection to Padmé than to anyone else. Sure, he's popped up here and there in the last twenty-five years, but there was never anyone, not even Luke, who could so strongly 'draw' him. I didn't think he would miss Padmé's return for anything! And I suspect there may have been obstacles for him to overcome wherever he was for this to happen (side story? Maybe, but not just now...)._

_**stocktonwood: **Ah! A new reader! Glad you found this, and even gladder you liked it. And you're right; one way or another, Padmé needed to know all of this (and still needs to know a lot more!), and this is just the way it all came out. I'm glad you like the way the synopsis was slanted; I've always kind of seen it that way, and I thought an intelligent young lady like Jaina would've done some thinking about the family history, and come to her own conclusions about some things._

_**Doreen:** Glad you liked my little 4-6 wrap-up too. I was really afraid it was too long._

_**dtaylor16889**: Yeah, I think we all do pretty much like the 'fluff' every so often. I know I do. I guess it just depends on your tastes; I like a good blaster shoot-out or lightsaber duel as much as the next guy, but I also love to see good drama too. Hope this fits the definition!_

Both ships, the _Millennium Falcon_ and the _Jade Shadow_, translated from lightspeed to real-space a good safe distance from Naboo and within one of the system's officially delineated 'jump points'. This being the case, they almost immediately popped up on the screens of Naboo's Space Traffic Control, and were soon hailed by a decidedly odd voice that spoke with an equally odd accent.

"Deesa be da Space Traffic Control, hailin' da ships identified as- meesa not be believin' dis! Da _Millennium Falcon_ an' da _Jade Shadow_?! Registered ta Han Solo an' Mara Jade Skywalker?!" Then, muffled as if turning away from the pick-up, the voice said, "Hey! Weesa got celebrities comin' down!" Finally, once more at full volume, the voice said, "Oh! An' wheresa y' be wantin' ta land?"

Seeing both Han and Leia's quizzical looks, Padmé smiled, and said, "What? You've never talked to a Gungan before?"

"Uh, not that I can remember," Han said slowly. "And I don't think I could forget a voice like that; it's even harder on the nerves than old Goldenrod back there."

"I heard that, sir," a slightly indignant voice said from the crew cabin behind them.

"And what makes you think I _care_ whether you heard or not?" Han said sardonically.

"Well, I never-!" C3PO began, only to be interrupted by a quickly uttered, "Good! Then don't!" from Han Solo.

As the outraged droid retreated further toward the back of the crew cabin, Han turned to see two nearly identical reproving expressions directed his way, and, putting his hands up in mock-defense said, "What? He knows I love him. It's just, if I didn't kick him around every once in a while, he'd start feeling neglected. Probably end up with a complex or something."

Leia just smiled ruefully, and shook her head, while Padmé worked to keep her expression serious despite the giggle that was obviously trying to force it's way out. But before either of them could say anything, the voice was back on the com, sounding both confused and a bit concerned.

"Hello? 'Scusa me, is dere anybody on da line? Hello?"

Han just grinned and shook his head, but before he could reach the com to reply, a new voice came on.

"Naboo Control, this is Mara Jade Skywalker aboard the _Jade Shadow_. We were going to let the _Falcon_ send you our flight plan," and then, with just a hint of sarcasm that said that she knew something was up, "but apparently they've developed com troubles of some kind."

Han snorted and, breaking in on the transmission said, "Uh, this is Han Solo on the _Falcon_. Sorry about the, uh, malfunction there, but we've got a hand on things now. And we need to set down at Theed, so we're told. Apparently that's about the closest we're going to get to where we're going."

"Oh," the voice said appreciatively, "Theed! Dat beesa _bee-yutiful_ place! Yousa gots ta be sure an' visit alla da mon-yu-ments and da moo-zee-ums an' such! Deysa plenty enougha dose aroun' ya know!"

"Uh, sure," Han said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "And now how's about sending us some landing coordinates? Couldn't find all those 'bee-yutiful mon-yu-ments and moo-zee-ums' without 'em, now could we?"

Leia slapped his shoulder playfully, giving him yet another reproving look, but his only reply was a wry grin and an innocent, "What?"

Apparently oblivious to Han's sarcasm, the voice said, "Oh, no worry 'bout no coordinates, fren! All yousa needs ta do is flip ta com channel one-seventeen, and deysa beacon! Yousa jus' follow dat right ta da spaceport, an' den dock in bays fourteen an' fifteen. Nothin' easier, fren!"

"Right," Han said slowly, and then, over-cheerfully, "Well, thanks a lot, Control, and you just have yourself a _wonderful_ day."

Again missing the significance of Han's tone, the voice said, "Yousa welcome, fren, an'-!"

But before it could finish, Han stabbed the cut-off with a growl, and, turning to Padmé said, "Are all Gungans this... chipper? Please, tell me they're not."

Padmé just gave a short laugh, and said, "Oh, no. Most of them are much more lively. That poor fellow sounded positively dour by comparison."

Han sighed, and, locking in the beacon, muttered resignedly, "Great. It's gonna be one of _those_ trips." But, as usual, there was just the ghost of a grin on his lips, letting both Leia and Padmé know that he wasn't really serious; he was just being Han Solo.

As they dropped below the clouds, Theed became visible, it's ancient public buildings and rustic stone residences harmonizing perfectly with the lush greenery and the spectacular waterfalls glimpsed in the distance.

With a smile and a slight intake of breath, Padmé said softly, "Home. It's been so long..."

Beside her, Leia smiled, and said, "It's beautiful, Mother. The few holos I've seen don't do it justice."

Over the com, which they'd left open on a private channel since dropping out of hyperspace, Luke said, "Leia's right. It is beautiful. And it also seems... peaceful. Soothing, somehow."

Padmé's smile widened, and she said, "In my time at least, we always did everything we could to work with the planet, not against it. Thankfully, it doesn't look like that's changed."

Han grunted, and said, "Must be an awfully lucky place. Not many planets made it through the Empire, the Vong War, and everything that came between without a few scars."

Before Padmé could reply, Mara's voice came over the com, saying, "Yeah, and I think I just spotted one. Take a look to your three o'clock, about six or seven clicks out. See it?"

They all looked in the direction she'd indicated, and before long they saw it too; a white and brown discoloration covering most of a verdant green field. Without moving closer, it was impossible to make out any details, but they all knew what they were looking at. Refugee camps had changed little over the millennia, and the rag-tag collection of tents, pre-fab buildings, and hastily poured duracrete pads would've looked equally at home in any era of strife, all the way back to the Great Hyperspace Wars and probably long before.

Padmé sighed, and said, "No, I don't suppose Naboo got off completely untouched. But thank the Force this Vong War you keep talking about didn't actually make it here. I'll take refugee camps over blast craters any day."

Han shook his head slowly, and in a low tone said, "Blast craters ain't even the half of it. The Vong wrecked _worlds_. You never got a good look at Coruscant, but let's just say it's a lot more rustic than it used to be. And then there's Ithor and- Sernpidal." He hesitated just briefly before pronouncing the last name, the site of Chewbacca's last act of heroism and his final resting place. Then, swallowing hard, he finished with, "Nobody's gonna be living on either of those places again for a long, long time."

Padmé paled slightly at this, and said, "Then I'm doubly thankful they never made it here."

There was little to say to this, and so everyone was silent for several moments. As Theed grew closer, however, and more detail became visible, Leia pointed out the largest and most impressive structure in sight, a compound of ancient stone buildings with vaulted, turquoise roofs, walled gardens full of flowers and growing things, and stone courtyards with spectacular fountains. The whole complex stood near the center of Theed, as if it were the very heart and soul of the city, and Leia said, "That's the palace, Mother?"

Padmé nodded, smiling once more, and said, "Mm-hmm. And it doesn't look like it's any the worse for wear. I guess either the Imperial governor decided to leave it alone, or there was a reconstruction project after the fact." And then, a faraway look in her eyes, she said, "There are so many memories for me in that palace, good and bad... I remember the first time I saw it, when I was just a girl; I was so excited! But I never dreamed I'd eventually be sitting on the throne myself." Then, her tone turning wistful, she said, "I remember the first time your father saw the palace, when he was just a boy; the look on his face! I guess he'd never even imagined a place like it, much less ever seen one. And then, years later, when I was a senator, and he'd been assigned to protect me by the Jedi Council, we came back here..." Then, noticing the rapt expressions on Han and Leia's faces as they listened, she flushed just slightly, and said, "I'm sorry. Just reminiscences from another time, I guess."

Leia smiled warmly, but before she could say anything, Luke's voice came over the com, saying, "No, Mother, it's alright. In fact, it's more than alright; I'm pretty sure that all of us would like to hear more. It's one thing to read about something on the Holonet, but it's another entirely to hear about it from someone who was there. And all of those little personal moments... well, those just make it all real for us, Mother."

Padmé smiled again, and said, "We'll talk, Luke. One way or another, before all this is over, all of us will sit down and just talk as a family. We have to."

"I'd like that, Mother," Luke said quietly. "I think we all would."

Before Padmé could reply to that, Han, working the controls along with Leia said, "Hate to break this up, but everybody should go ahead and prep for landing. We're gonna be touching down in about two minutes."

Padmé sighed, and said, "Okay, then," and, directing her voice toward the com, "I'll see you in a few minutes, Son."

"I'm looking forward to it, Mother," Luke replied, and then, just before cutting the com, "See you all groundside."

Once both ships had berthed at their respective docking bays, the Skywalkers and the Solos, minus the twins, who'd agreed to stay and watch Ben for the time being, rejoined one another in the corridor outside. Both Artoo and Threepio stayed with the ships as well, and only the unfortunately necessary 2-1B droid joined them, following Padmé closely.

Immediately upon sighting her son, Padmé walked over quickly and embraced him wordlessly and warmly. A bit startled at first, Luke nevertheless returned her embrace and, smiling, said, "Whoa! What'd I do to deserve that, Mother?"

Her cheek pressed to his chest, Padmé said, "It's just my way of saying thank you, Luke. Thank you for being the person you are, for doing all the things you've done, and for enduring as much sheer hell as you have. For all of that, a hug from your Mother is the very least you deserve."

Luke felt a tightness in his throat at her words, obviously heartfelt, but he couldn't help but wonder what had prompted them. Seeing the question on his face as they parted, Padmé smiled and said, "Your niece brought me up to speed on some of the things that happened while I was asleep. I... know what happened between you and Anakin there at the- end. I know that you saved him, that you brought him back, and- and that's a gift beyond any price, Luke. It... puts to rest one of the greatest demons that's haunted me since- since everything went so wrong." She paused for a moment, searching for the right words, and then said, "I- don't even have the right to say this, Luke; I wasn't there when you were growing up, and I had no hand in making you the person you are, but- but I'm proud of you, all the same, whether I have the right to be or not. And I'm sure that, wherever he is, Ani's proud of you too."

Luke bowed his head as she said this, working hard to control the emotions her words engendered, and finally said, "It... means a lot to me to hear you say that, Mother. More than I can say." Padmé just smiled in reply.

Stepping up beside Luke before more could be said, Mara said gently, "Hey you two, there'll be plenty of time for this after we've seen Master Cilghal. And if that's going to happen, we need to wrap things up here and grab some local transportation. Unless you feel like walking ten klicks or so."

"Not really," Luke said, smiling. "It's just too bad that they have such limited landing facilities out there. This would've been a lot easier if they had room for non-priority traffic."

Leading the way as they began to move toward the spaceport proper, Han said over his shoulder, "Things would've been a lot easier if Palpatine hadn't of been such a vindictive bastard in the first place." And then, after a momentary pause, "So, did you get a hold of Master Cilghal on the way down?"

Luke nodded, and said, "She's about as busy as you'd expect, but she said she'll be able to make time whenever we get there." Then, shaking his head, he added, "She sounded exhausted, too, which is saying something for a Jedi Master. Hopefully she's not overtaxing herself too badly out there."

Mara gave a short laugh, and said, "You've seen other refugee camps. What do you think?"

Luke sighed, and said, "I think she probably has her hands full and then some."

By this time, they'd reached the spaceport's main terminal, and, unlike so many of the Rim worlds they'd become accustomed to over the years, this one actually had a customs and immigrations station. Fortunately, they'd known this in advance, and, as no real trouble was expected, Han and Padmé had left their blasters on the _Falcon_, though Han had muttered something to the effect of having body parts he was less attached to. Still, with no less than three Jedi in their party, all retaining their lightsabers as was their right on almost any world, even Han had to admit that there probably wasn't much to worry about, especially on a world as civilized as Naboo.

Apparently Space Traffic Control had called ahead, and they received something like VIP treatment as they processed through. The youngish security officers manning the station were overly deferential, and obviously slightly awed by the living legends before them. For the most part, they simply waved everyone through, never asking to examine any baggage or using any obvious scanning devices. In fact, all that they asked really was that everyone pass their identichip through the station's reader in order to process them into the immigration system. Unfortunately, that presented a problem for one member of the party.

Smiling contritely when her turn came, Padmé turned to the station supervisor and said, "I'm sorry, officer, but I don't have an identichip right now. It's a long story, but I lost it some time ago and haven't had a chance to replace it yet. That won't be a big problem, I hope?"

The supervisor paused for a moment, thinking, and then said, "It shouldn't be, ma'am. I'll need to get some basic information, though, and, normally, I'd have to ask you to wait here until the system's cleared you. That could take a while though, with the Holonet as shaky as it is these days."

Frowning, Leia stepped up and said, "Officer, I understand that you have procedures to follow, but, as I'm sure you can see by the equipment she's wearing and the medical droid following her around, my Mother isn't in the best of health. We came here to see a Jedi healer, but the longer we wait, the sicker she gets."

The supervisor's eyes widened slightly at Leia's words, and, glancing toward Padmé she said, "I'm sorry, Princess, but- did I hear you correctly? This woman is your mother?"

Padmé sighed, and said, "I know I don't exactly look the part, Officer, but a few decades in carbonite can go a long way toward preserving one's looks." Seeing the supervisor's eyes widen even further at this, she finished with, "I realize that all of this is- well, irregular would be a colossal understatement, but- it would be greatly appreciated if you could find some way to facilitate things for us, Officer."

The supervisor just stared for a second, and then, a smile slowly forming on her lips said, "Well, ma'am, I have to admit, you've already managed to make this a... memorable shift, to say the least. But I think, given the reputation of the people vouching for you, we can waive the wait." Then, holding up a standard datapad, she said, "Just state your full name, species, date and place of birth. Once you've done that, I'll need you to place a finger in that little receptacle on the desk for a genetic sample, and that should be it."

Padmé complied with the supervisor's instructions, provoking another wide-eyed look when she gave her birth date, and a slight frown when she gave her place of birth.

"You were born here on Naboo, ma'am?" the supervisor said curiously.

Padmé nodded, and said, "And it's been a long, long time since I was home."

Smiling again, the supervisor said, "Well, in that case, ma'am, welcome back. And I'm-"

But before she could complete her sentence, there was a sharp ping from her console, and a flashing message appeared on the screen in front of her. Her smile faded to be replaced by a slightly disbelieving look, and it quickly became apparent that whatever the alert was, it wasn't limited to her console. A number of the uniformed security officers nearby tapped their earphone coms and, placing hands conspicuously on holstered blasters, made their way quickly over.

Looking around at the circle of approaching security personnel, and feeling acutely the missing weight on his right hip, Han Solo turned slightly toward Leia and, in a low, sardonic tone muttered, "I have a bad feeling about this, sweetheart."

His expression and voice calm in spite of the situation, Luke looked to the immigration supervisor and said, "Is there a problem of some sort, Officer?"

The supervisor bit her lip in consternation, obviously conflicted by whatever was going on, and more than loathe to risk the ire of this band of old war heroes who'd racked up two Death Stars while she was still in diapers. But in the end, devotion to duty won out, and she said, "I'm sorry, Master Skywalker, but I'm afraid there is." She sighed, collecting herself, and then continued. "Since your mother is a Naboo native, none of the data had to go out over the Holonet; the archives are right here in Theed. The system matched her DNA trace and pulled up her records almost immediately."

Luke frowned just slightly, and said, "So what's the problem then, Officer?"

Sighing once more, the supervisor said, "The problem, Master Skywalker, is that your mother has a warrant on file for her arrest. A very old warrant, dating from just after the fall of the Empire, but still valid, I'm afraid."

Her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, Leia said, "A warrant for her arrest? For what?"

The supervisor bit her lip once more, obviously extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation, and then, rather than reply directly to Leia, she turned to Padmé. Taking in her stricken expression, the supervisor said reluctantly, "Former Senator Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker, in the name of the duly elected monarch of Naboo, King Evandarius, I place you under arrest for high treason, conspiracy to overthrow the government of the Galactic Republic, and crimes against the galaxy. Please surrender yourself willingly, or- or necessary force will be used to secure you."

_Ok, that one took a while, and I have no idea why. I guess writer's block is threatening to settle in, God forbid. Hopefully, that last little twist caught you all by surprise, and I think you'll find where I'm going with that one interesting. Please review, and stay tuned; the ride has just begun!_


	9. Blind Justice

_**Star Wars: Specters of the Past**_

_**By SSG Michael B. Jackson**_

_Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?_

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and here are some specific replies._

_**Tribun: **Yeah, a certain somebody definitely had it out for Padmé. You'd think someone with a whole galaxy to oppress would have better things to do, wouldn't you? But everybody's got to have a hobby, I guess, and now you know what one of his was._

_**Tuskin of Raider: **Sorry if you don't like the expletives I'm using, but they seem to be the ones I've come across in most of the novels. The Star Wars galaxy has a completely different cultural background from ours, so it's a little hard to pin down just what 'cuss words' people tend to use without resorting to the ones we find so familiar. I've heard 'damn' and 'hell' used in the movies, but nothing involving any 'higher power'other than the Force and the Sith. If anyone out there has a better idea of how people curse in Star Wars, please enlighten me so I can improve this. Also, now that you mention it, a Jar Jar appearance is a definite possibility, although I won't lie and say that he's one of my favorite characters. Let's just say that Padmé wasn't the only one blamed for what happened (who called for a vote on granting Palpatine emergency powers, after all?), and Jar Jar probably has something to contribute to her case. _

_**Delles:** Thanks for the praise, and I plan on seeing this through. Just be patient though; sometimes the updates will be frequent, and sometimes they won't._

_**labrisa: **Yes, I am an evil author; I was corrupted by a Dark Plot Bunny of the Sith years and years ago, and it's been so damn much fun, I've never looked back! Seriously, though, you're right. If I didn't throw some of these curves and complications in, we'd be left with 100 pure grade 'A' fluff, and while that makes very nice (and in my opinion necessary) padding for a serious story, normally it shouldn't BE the story. Glad you like my work so far, and hopefully I'll be able to sustain the pace, so to speak. _

_**stocktonwood: **Thanks for commenting on the scene between Luke and Padmé. It just sort of struck me as her natural reaction, and I really thought Luke needed to hear that from her. I suspect on some level he's always had a hard time accepting what happened at Endor, that he probably thinks there was more he could've done, so I think hearing that from Padmé would be a very good thing for him. Glad I managed to surprise you too, and I'll be laying things out this chapter. _

_**Doreen:** Believe it or not, this 'arrest' sub-plot just hit me one morning in the shower. I was just sort of going over what I wanted to happen on Naboo, and I suddenly realized that maybe Padmé wasn't the only one who blamed herself for Palpatine's rise and the Republic's fall. More to follow on that._

_**dtaylor16889**: Bad luck is one way of putting it. I prefer to think of it more as simply the past catching up with poor Padmé. That, and yet another dose of betrayal from our favorite long-departed galactic monarch… Oh, BTW, always happy to mention a reader ; )_

_**Tempest in Blue:** Odd, sudden and interesting, huh? Well, that's a pretty apt description, I guess. And I'm glad this caught a lot of you by surprise; it wouldn't be any fun otherwise. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it interesting, but I think I can manage that._

_**Mara Angel:** Glad you liked my setup for this; it just sort of came to me, and I ran with it. As for bridging all the different Star Wars eras together, well, that wasn't exactly my goal at the start, but it does seem to be happening, and I'll try to keep that trend alive._

_**Diane:** Well, last but most certainly not least! You gave me a lot to mull over in your multi-chapter review. I'll try to cut down on the soapbox speeches, though a few might still crop up. You've read my email, so you know I can be awfully long winded at times ;-) As for the 'Star Wars cursing', well I hit that one above. And again, if anybody has any suggestions, I'm open to them. Glad you like the way I'm doing Han and Mara, BTW. The way I normally write is to just sort of build a simulation of the character in my mind, based on what I've seen and read, and then just plug in my scenarios and 'let them go', so to speak. I guess that comes from about ten years of role playing games, of which Star Wars was one; you get used to building characters and letting them do their own thing. As for the Jaina thing, well, she's always been one of my favorite EU characters for some reason, so it figures she's getting the screen time. I'm not intentionally cutting anyone short, but there are a lot of characters involved, so things kind of have to 'go around the table' so to speak. I'll try to give them all their fair share of the spotlight as much as possible. Also, I think you misunderstand the charges against Padmé. These aren't charges leveled by the Empire; they're charges that were leveled by Naboo's government AFTER the Empire's fall. Backlash pretty much demanded that everyone involved in Palpatine's rise be charged with something if there was even a chance that they were still alive and might someday be brought to justice. Glad you like this overall, though, and hope it continues to keep your interest!_

Her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, Leia said, "A warrant for her arrest? For what?"

The supervisor bit her lip once more, obviously extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation, and then, rather than reply directly to Leia, she turned to Padmé. Taking in her stricken expression, the supervisor said reluctantly, "Former Senator Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker, in the name of the duly elected monarch of Naboo, King Evandarius, I place you under arrest for high treason, conspiracy to overthrow the government of the Galactic Republic, and crimes against the galaxy. Please surrender yourself willingly, or- or necessary force will be used to secure you."

There was stark silence for several seconds as everyone struggled to digest the supervisor's words, and then, finally, Han Solo said, "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute now! Treason? Crimes against the _galaxy_? What kind of trumped up bantha poodoo are you guys trying to push here? If anything, this lady's a victim, not a criminal! The guy you want has been dead for about a quarter of a century now, in case you haven't been keeping up on current events."

Putting on a resolute expression to hide her obvious nervousness, the immigrations supervisor said, "Captain Solo, believe me when I say that I'm extremely sorry for this situation. Arresting the mother of two of the most famous veterans in the galaxy, who just happens to be one of my world's former queens and an ex-senator, is the last thing I expected to have to do when I got out of bed this morning. But the charges, and the warrant, are there; I can't just ignore them. Whether or not I like the situation, I've got a job to do." She sighed then, and, in a somewhat more subdued tone said, "I'm hoping that you're all really the kind of people your reputations make you out to be, and we'll be able to handle this in a civilized manner. I don't think any of us have any illusions about walking away from a fight with three Jedi Knights, but we'll do our duty if you force us to. Please don't make me have to make that decision."

Hearing the sincerity in the young woman's tone, Padmé sighed, and, straightening, her bearing suddenly very much that of a monarch, said, "Of course we wouldn't do anything like that, Officer." She glanced pointedly around the circle of family members who surrounded her then, confirming for herself that this was actually the case, and then said, "We all understand duty and responsibility, and, if these charges have been leveled against me, I want the chance to stand up to them. Naboo's my home, after all, and shooting our way off the planet wouldn't do anything to dispel whatever stigma has been attached to my name." She paused once more, allowing her words to sink in, and then, in a lower but still regal tone said, "So, yes, Officer; I surrender myself willingly, and no violence will be necessary. Will that be satisfactory?"

Padmé's tone and bearing affected the immigrations supervisor deeply, and she felt a wave of respect for the woman, whatever her alleged crimes were, wash over her. Straightening, she looked Padmé in the eye and said evenly, "Yes, Your Highness, it will. And if you would, please, just allow the security officers to escort you to a waiting area until a representative of the Planetary Constabulary arrives to take charge of this affair."

Padmé nodded slowly, and, turning toward the nearest security man said, "Officer?"

He looked down at her solemnly for a moment, and then said quietly, "All things considered, Your Highness, I don't believe physical restraints of any sort are necessary. If you'll follow us, please?"

She nodded once more, and said, "And my family?"

The officer considered for a moment, and then replied, "There are no charges leveled against any of them; they're free to go if they like, although undoubtedly the constabulary will have questions for them at some point. And, of course, if they like, they're more than welcome to accompany us and speak to the constabulary representatives when they arrive."

Padmé glanced over quickly to make sure that everyone heard this, and, receiving a nod of acknowledgement from Leia, she turned back to the security officer and said, "Whenever you're ready then, Officer."

As they moved slowly away, the elder members of the Skywalker/Solo clan in tow, Mara turned to Luke and, in a slightly bemused voice said, "You tell me, farmboy; was that an arrest we just saw, or a ballroom waltz of some kind? That had to be the politest incarceration I've ever been witness to."

Luke just shook his head, and said, "I guess Naboo really is as civilized as Mother's made it out to be. No wonder they don't have any more to do with the rest of the galaxy than they absolutely have to."

Behind him, Han snorted disdainfully, and said, "I don't know, kid. All of this so-called 'courtliness' just gives me the willies. Usually when people are acting this polite to your face, it's just because they're waiting for a chance to shove a vibroblade in your back. In my experience, anyway."

Leia, walking at Han's side, sighed and said, "My husband; the eternal optimist." Then, ignoring his frown and muttered, "Gee, thanks, Your Worship," she said, "Any way you look at it, though, this complicates matters. Just how much, I guess we'll have to wait and see."

----------

All things considered, their wait wasn't a long one. No more than half an hour after they'd been escorted to the 'waiting area', a surprisingly comfortable, though blandly decorated lounge-like room with a security door and obvious holocams near the ceiling, the constabulary representatives arrived.

The delegation consisted of five people, two uniformed officers and three others, a woman and two men, in civilian clothing. After exchanging a few words with the security officers outside the holding area, they entered, one of the men, an older gentleman with graying, salt-and-pepper hair and ice gray eyes leading.

Padmé stood as the group approached, and Luke, Leia and their spouses moved just a bit closer to her, unconsciously protective of this woman who'd become so important to them all so quickly.

Noticing this, the older gentleman quirked an eyebrow just slightly, and, extending a hand formally, said, "Your Highness. Please believe me when I say that I regret the circumstances of this meeting, but allow me to introduce myself and these others. My name is Rondahl Severen, and I am the Royal Liaison to the Ministry of Justice, of which the Planetary Constabulary is a part, though I'm sure you're aware of that."

Padmé nodded in acknowledgement, and, turning to indicate the others, he continued. Pointing to the other gentleman, a light-skinned black man who appeared to be somewhere in his middle years, he said, "This is Director Matin, the current head of the Planetary Constabulary. Given the… high-profile nature of this matter, we thought it best that he be present." Then, turning to the third member of the party, an attractive, brown-haired woman who appeared to be perhaps a few years older than Luke and Leia, he said, "And this is High Magister Kerliné. She's one of the most respected advokats on Naboo, and a subject matter expert in cases of this kind. Normally, she acts as one of the Crown's senior legal advisors, but she's accompanied us here to offer her services in rendering your case; apparently, there are… personal concerns involved."

Padmé cocked her head just slightly at this, and, turning to the High Magister said, "Personal concerns? I'm sorry, Magister Kerliné, but… what sort of personal concerns? Have we met before?"

The other, who'd been examining Padmé minutely since entering the room, an odd though subdued expression on her face, now smiled just slightly, a bit wistfully even, and said, "You could say that, though it's been a terribly long time. You don't recognize me, though, do you?"

Padmé frowned, a bit vexed by this, and examined the other woman more closely, looking for anything familiar. She found it, finally, in the eyes. In their color, a brown deeper than her own, nearly black, and also in the way they crinkled when the woman smiled. She remembered eyes very much like this woman's, but on another face, a face she'd seen every day growing up, and hadn't seen for nearly half a century. This woman had her sister Sola's eyes. And then, as this realization struck her, she began to notice other things, little things, really; the shade of her hair, the cast of her features, a tiny scar just over one eye that she remembered once placing both a bacta-strip and a kiss over.

As all these things registered on Padmé, a picture slowly formed in her mind, an image of a bright-eyed, smiling little girl who'd been washed away from her on a river of time, and, in a whisper she said, "Pooja?"

The other woman's smile brightened, and, her eyes moist, she stepped forward to embrace Padmé, much to the shock of the rest of the Skywalker/Solo clan. "Hello, Aunt Padmé," she said softly as Padmé returned her embrace warmly. "I'm sorry that we had to meet again under these circumstances, but… I'm happy to see you again regardless. I- we've missed you all these years."

"I've missed you too, Pooja," Padmé said quietly. "I've missed… a lot of things, obviously." And then, in a tone of quiet determination, she said, "But, no matter what happens, I plan on catching up on the things I've missed. For however long I'm able, at least."

Then, turning toward the rather confused family members behind her, Padmé smiled softly and said, "Pooja, Magister Kerliné, is my sister Sola's daughter. The last time we saw each other, she was about eight years old." Then, wryly, she added, "Obviously, there have been some changes since then."

While Luke and Leia stared, slightly amazed at yet another addition to their extended family, Han turned to Mara and, shaking his head slightly said, "Y'know, Jade, if this family gets much bigger, I'm gonna have to get old Goldenrod upgraded just to keep up with all the Lifedays and anniversaries."

Mara snorted, and said, "You do make the oddest observations at times, Solo, you know that? Unfortunately, I'm thinking that keeping track of Lifedays probably isn't going to be the biggest challenge we've got coming up."

"Probably not," Han said resignedly. "But it sure would be nice for a change, wouldn't it?"

----------

From the spaceport, Padmé was escorted, of all places, to the palace at Theed's center. Apparently, given her identity and the particulars of the case, the local detention center had been deemed unsuitable for her pre-trial confinement. She knew, as anyone would who'd spent as much time in the palace as she had, that there were a number of 'secure suites' originally intended for high-profile or politically sensitive prisoners, but none of them had been used literally for millennia. They had simply been part of the décor and history of the place during her reign, and a favorite part of the palace tour as well. Now, apparently, at least one of them was to be used again.

The ride over, in an unmarked but obviously official plain black armored speeder, accompanied by only the two uniformed officers and the ubiquitous 2-1B droid, was a quiet one. Severen, Matin, and Pooja were in a separate vehicle, and the rest of her family had rented a speeder to follow. The two officers were polite to a failing, and responded to any questions she asked in a direct, no non-sense manner, though most of their answers were simply, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I'm not at liberty to discuss that." They volunteered no information of their own.

She was taken first to the palace's infirmary, a place even more bright and modern than she remembered, and given a thorough examination by the Royal Surgeon himself. Apparently, the powers-that-be wanted to confirm the medical information that had been provided by the 2-1B droid, and, most likely, to thoroughly document her physical condition to stave off any possible accusations of abuse on their part. It was, she knew, a fairly routine part of Naboo's judicial process.

Once this was completed, she was escorted to her 'temporary residence' as it was refered to, a fairly opulent suite consisting of a large and tastefully furnished common room, a similarly appointed bedroom, and a full-service refresher with any number of esoteric conveniences installed. The suite also featured a rather heavy and ornate ironbound wooden door that she knew from her previous tenure in the palace concealed blast-door grade armor plate and a state of the art mag-lock system. Traditional, but functional, she thought; typical for Naboo. She, along with the 2-1B droid, was ushered inside politely by the two uniformed officers, who'd accompanied her throughout the process, and instructed to pass any needs or wants she might have to the two palace guards who'd be standing watch outside. Then, once they were satisfied that all was in order, the two officers departed, letting Padmé know that someone would be in to discuss her case soon.

True to their word, within a few minutes, the intercom installed next to the door chimed in a low, pleasant tone, and the voice of one of the two guards stationed outside came through.

"Your Highness?" The low, male voice inquired politely.

"Yes?" She replied in a neutral tone.

"Visitors, if you care to receive them, Your Highness. Your legal council, and, I believe, your children."

Shaking her head slightly at the formality and civility of this place, barely remembered after so long off-world, any number of flippant replies to the guard's polite question came to her mind. But of course he was only doing his job, and she knew there was no reason to take the situation out on him.

Thus, instead of one of the sardonic replies she was tempted to use, she said instead, "Let them in then, please."

"Yes, Your Highness," he said. A moment later there was a muted click from the door's locking mechanism, and it swung open ponderously to reveal Luke, Leia, and Pooja standing outside. With a muttered thanks to the guards, they entered, the door swinging shut quietly behind them.

They all stood a bit awkwardly for a few moments, no one quite knowing what to say, and finally Padmé motioned toward the large, white leather-upholstered sofa at the center of the common room and said, "Well, I suppose we might as well sit down."

With muttered agreements they did so, Luke and Leia on one side of Padmé, Pooja on the other, and then, turning to Pooja, Padmé said, "So. I guess you've come to lay things out for me, so to speak?"

Nodding slowly, Pooja took a slim, modern-looking datapad from the small attaché case she carried, and, powering it up said, "That's about the size of it, Aunt Pa-" Then, catching herself, she paused, finishing sheepishly, "I mean, Your Highness."

Padmé frowned, and said, " 'Your Highness'? What, exactly, is the significance of that, Pooja?"

A pained expression on her face, Pooja said, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I really should get used to calling you that. It wouldn't go over well at all if I were to call you 'Aunt Padmé' during the trial."

Her expression lightening, Padmé said, "I'm sure that you're more than professional enough not to do that, Pooja. Or should I call you High Magister Kerliné?"

Pooja winced, and, smiling said, "Okay, point taken. You win that one, Aunt Padmé."

With a satisfied smile, Padmé said, "Well, let's just hope I can be as persuasive on the stand."

A grave expression settled onto Pooja's features at these words, and she said, "Definitely let's hope that, Aunt Padmé." She paused, sighing, and then said, "For all the politeness and cordiality built into the system here on Naboo, the charges against you are quite serious. That's something that you need to understand up front."

From her place at Padmé's side, Leia, frowning, said, "I think we all understand that, and we heard what the charges were. But what, exactly, do they mean? What are they based on, how solid are they, and… what's the penalty likely to be if we… lose this?"

Setting the datapad down on the transparisteel-topped caftable in front of the sofa, Pooja touched one of the icons on the screen and the text suddenly leapt off the page, hovering in the air a hand span above. Leia raised an eyebrow, somewhat impressed. While she'd seen datapads with integrated holoprojectors before, they were by no means inexpensive or common items. It was just another indicator that her cousin, the High Magister, had indeed done well for herself over the last few decades.

Scrolling through the text, Pooja said, "High treason, conspiracy to overthrow the government of the Galactic Republic, and crimes against the galaxy. Those were the charges that were read to you, correct?"

Both Padmé and Leia nodded simultaneously, something that Luke and Pooja both noticed, though apparently they didn't, and Leia said, "That's right. And?"

"And," Pooja said slowly, " those are the _major_ charges lodged against Aunt Padmé. There are a whole host of other, lesser and included offenses, but they all fall under the umbrella of those three." Gazing levelly at Padmé, she said, "I think you can at least guess what these charges are based on."

Padmé sighed deeply, and, in a leaden voice said, "They're based on the actions I took as queen and then as senator. The actions that… helped Palpatine gain the throne."

Pooja nodded wordlessly, and before she could reply Luke said quietly but firmly, "Mother told us about that already. It wasn't her fault; she was just as much a victim as anyone else. She was simply caught up in the Emperor's plans along with the rest of the galaxy."

Pooja looked down for a moment, and then met Luke's gaze, saying, "Of course I believe that. If I didn't, I'd most likely be on the other side of this case, family ties or no. I may've only been eight years old the last time I saw your mother, but I've always known in my heart that the woman I remembered couldn't have done the things they said. My Aunt Padmé just wasn't that kind of person." She paused for a moment, and then said, "I never really thought there would be a chance to clear her name; after so many years, we all thought- well, I'm sure you can guess what we all thought. But now… now there's at least a chance." She paused again, and then said quietly, "Unfortunately, not all that many people believe what I believe, and that's going to make this an uphill battle."

Padmé frowned slightly at this and said, "Pooja, what happened? I don't want to sound like some kind of egotist, but I wasn't exactly an unpopular ruler! When a populace talks about amending the planetary constitution to eliminate the term limit, all so that you can keep serving, it usually means you've done something right! And as senator, well, I'll admit, I supported Palpatine in the beginning, but once he started showing his true colors… I headed the delegation of two thousand! I gathered the opposition against him! True, it was too little, too late, but doesn't that count for something?"

Pooja shook her head sadly, and said, "All too easy for the revisionists to spin that and say that any conspirator would be likely to turn against their partner if they weren't getting what they'd been promised, I'm afraid. And that's exactly what was said."

"But that's preposterous!" Padmé said heatedly. "I freely admit that I made errors in judgment, grave ones even! But there's no way I'd ever have supported Palpatine in any way if I'd had the slightest idea what he had planned!"

"Again, I realize that," Pooja said. "But I know you in a way that almost no one left on Naboo does. For most, it's entirely too easy to believe that- that you betrayed Naboo for personal gain. It- it's no longer even an issue for most really; it's been a generation now since the Empire fell, and the public's attention span just isn't that long. But at the time…" She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, and then said, "When the Empire fell, or, more precisely, when we heard that the Emperor was dead, it was… pandemonium here. Like a lot of places around the galaxy, there'd always been an underground, a resistance here on Naboo. They were tied into the Rebel Alliance through intelligence and special operations channels, something I'm sure Luke and Leia are familiar with." Both Luke and Leia nodded at this, remembering similar situations on many worlds, and then Pooja continued.

"Well, as on many worlds, the resistance here had advance warning of what was planned at Endor, and they had confirmation once it was over through their… liaison." She stopped for a moment there, a pained expression crossing her face for some reason, and then said, "Operations that had been planned for a long time were carried out at that point, culminating at the Imperial's moment of maximum confusion in the mad scramble that followed within hours of the Emperor's demise. To make a long story short, a coupe was staged and pulled off successfully; the Imperial governor was captured, and, with Imperial forces at an all-time low, local forces were able to seize the entire system. I guess it was much the same over a large part of the galaxy."

She paused again to let this sink in and then continued. "In the aftermath of this, an interim government was set up, consisting of the senior members of the resistance until such time as the monarchy and it's infrastructure could be reestablished. It was a wild, turbulent time, probably not the best time for war-crimes tribunals, but-"

"But the people demanded it," Padmé said softly.

Pooja nodded, and said, "Exactly. After being under the Emperor's yoke for most of a generation, people were out for blood. So far as they were concerned, someone had to be responsible, and- and the interim government gave them the war criminals they were looking for." She looked down for a moment, vaguely ashamed for her people, and then she said, "Most of those war criminals were genuine, of course. Imperial officers and local turn-coats for the most part. And, of course, Palpatine himself, the biggest turn-coat in the planet's history; we all knew he was dead, but he was tried in absentia and convicted anyway, just to make sure the record was set straight. And as a sort of public catharsis, I suppose you'd say." She paused once more, collecting herself for what came next, and then she continued.

"Some of the charges leveled, though, were, to say the least, less than solid. I was young then, still not a fully accredited advokat, but I was involved in a number of those cases. And I'm ashamed to say that, in some of them at least, people were tried and convicted on very shaky evidence. I always tried to fight that where I could, but… I just wasn't terribly important or influential then. There wasn't much I could do."

Frowning thoughtfully, Luke said, "So the case against Mother was something that was slapped together by an interim government and backed by an angry populace over twenty-five years ago? If that's the case, this shouldn't be hard to beat at all."

Pooja shook her head slowly, and said, "No, it's not that simple, I'm afraid. As I said, some of those cases had little evidence to back them but… Aunt Padmé's wasn't one of those. There were several… damning pieces of evidence presented. And, unfortunately, the person who uncovered that evidence was- is above reproach."

Leia cocked her head slightly, frowning also, and said, "What kind of evidence are we talking about, exactly? And who's this 'person above reproach'?"

Pooja sighed deeply, and said, "As I'm sure you know by now, the Emperor was a Naboo native, and though he never once returned here during his reign, he did maintain holdings on-planet. An estate and grounds that had been in his family for- well, for as long as anyone can remember or official records can document. Naturally, it was one of the first places secured and searched by the resistance after the coupe, and- well, a great many documents, holos, and data modules were recovered. As you might guess, a lot of dirty laundry came to light from that, including, I'm afraid, several recordings that- well, suffice it to say, they captured the particulars of several people's dealings with Palpatine, both on Naboo and abroad. It was a kind of archive, it seemed, and one that he'd updated periodically right up until his demise. I suppose you can guess who one of the people depicted was."

The color draining from her face, Padmé said in a whisper, "Me!" And then, tears of frustration and anger making their way down her cheeks, she rasped, "He-! That-! Damn him! Damn Palpatine! It wasn't enough for him to play me for a fool all those years ago! It wasn't enough to take my husband, my Ani, from me and turn him into a monster! It wasn't enough to force me to give my children up and live like a hunted animal for a decade, until one of his stinking bounty hunters finally caught me and froze me in a slab of carbonite! It wasn't even enough for him to take forty years of my life, wasted in that block of carbonite, hanging on a wall in his macabre little trophy room, and then to make sure that I'd be infected with a fatal disease if I were ever rescued! No, on top of all that, he had to make sure that if, by some miracle I ever managed to overcome all of that, I'd have nothing to come home to! That my very name would be ruined! Why?! What did I- what did I ever do to him that he thought I deserved this?"

Without thinking, both Leia and Pooja reached out to embrace Padmé, and Luke, with little room for anything else, put a reassuring hand on her back. The 2-1B droid, roused to action by it's charges obvious distress, moved in quickly, carefully moving the caftable aside and politely requesting to be let near. Reluctantly, Leia and Pooja gave it room to work, and it busied itself checking the medical equipment attached to Padmé, supplementing it's constantly updated readings of her basic life-signs with the more detailed data gathered by the instruments on her belt.

From where he sat, Luke, a slight frown still on his brow, said soothingly, "It's not what you did, Mother. It's who and what you are. Palpatine was probably one of the most vindictive creatures who ever lived, and he absolutely delighted in corrupting and despoiling anything good that he could get his hands on. And if he found something that he couldn't corrupt, he did his best to utterly destroy that thing, as if it were a threat to him and everything he represented. You were just one of those things that he knew he'd never be able to corrupt, and so he decided he needed to destroy you instead. It's not your failing, Mother; it's a sign of your strength, and his weakness. And trust me, Mother, he'll fail. Ultimately, everything else he ever tried failed in the end, even his corruption of Father. He'll fail in this too."

Taking control of herself once more, consciously willing the tears away, Padmé turned to her son, a tentative smile on her lips, and said, "Thank you, Luke. You're- I know you're right. And I know we'll beat all of this somehow, but- but it's just so frustrating! Every time it seems that we've overcome whatever obstacle he's put in our path, we just find a bigger one beyond it! And all of this with him twenty-five years in the grave! I hate to even think what this would be like if he were still alive."

There was a moment's grim silence as everyone contemplated this statement, and then, more to break the mood than for any other reason, Leia said, "So, in other words, what we're looking at here is some highly suspect evidence seized from the property of a man who had all sorts of reasons to want Mother and her reputation torn to shreds. How hard can that be to debunk in court?"

Pooja bit her lip delicately, and, in a reluctant tone said, "A lot harder than you think, I'm afraid. As I said before, that evidence was collected and submitted by a… very reliable source."

Luke frowned, and said, "Okay, so who's this source, and what's so reliable about him or her?"

Pooja sighed, and said, "The raid on Palpatine's estate was headed by the senior member of the resistance cell here on Naboo, and by the head Rebel liaison officer, an intelligence colonel who… also happened to be a Naboo native. She… didn't make it through that raid. She was killed by one of Palpatine's automated security devices on the way out. But she was the one who discovered a great deal of the material in question, and her counterpart was the one who delivered it to the tribunals once they were set up."

"Okay, I'll bite," Leia said a bit sardonically. "Who exactly were these two, and how does their involvement make the evidence more reliable?"

"Not more reliable, exactly," Pooja said slowly, "but definitely… less open to question. You see, the Rebel liaison officer has become a planetary hero over the years, a martyr of sorts, and… well, anything attached to her name has become sort of sacrosanct. And in this case, that's truly ironic, I'm afraid…"

"Ironic?" Padmé said quizzically. "Ironic in what way, exactly?"

With a shuddering sigh, evidently upset by the subject, Pooja said sadly, "That liaison officer was Colonel Ryoo Naberrie, Aunt Padmé. Now tell me if you think that's ironic or not."

Padmé gave a sharp gasp as both grief and regret hit her simultaneously, and, in response to the puzzled looks from her children, she said in a husky tone, "Ryoo was Pooja's older sister. My other niece. She- I- I was hoping I'd be able to see her soon. I thought, since Pooja was here that- that she-!" But her voice broke there, and fresh tears followed as she realized that yet another piece of her life had been stolen from her, and yet another member of her family had been sacrificed to stop a madman from consuming the galaxy.

As Luke and Leia comforted Padmé, Pooja said in a consoling tone, "I know, Aunt Padmé. It's been over a quarter of a century, and it still hurts me to this day. But she died for a cause, and she died a hero, even if it happened after the shooting had supposedly stopped. No one on Naboo will ever forget her name, or what she did for all of us." And then, after a short pause, she said, "There's more, though."

"More?" Padmé said through her tears.

Pooja nodded, and said slowly, "Her counterpart on that raid… his name was Colonel Staven Kinross. Before the coupe, as I said, he was the senior leader of the resistance here on Naboo. After the coupe… well, his role in things only grew. Soon after the raid on Palpatine's estate, he was appointed chief of state by the interim council, effectively the planetary leader at that time. And eventually, once things settled down and the monarchy was reestablished, he… was elected king by a landslide vote."

Frowning, Padmé said, "So not only is the evidence against me tied to the name of a martyr, my own niece, no less, but to a former king as well?"

Looking down uncomfortably, Pooja said, "It's… worse than that, I'm afraid, Aunt Padmé. You see, there were some… changes made to the old constitution by the interim government, just before the monarchy was reinstated. Small changes, mostly, designed to close loopholes in the system, and to prevent abuse and corruption. But one of those changes… one of those changes was the elimination of the monarch's two-term limit." She paused to let this sink in, and saw Padmé's eyes widen as the full import of this statement reached her.

"That's right," she finally said in a low voice. "Chief of State Staven Kinross was elected King of Naboo twenty-five years ago, and took the coronation name Evandarius; he's been re-elected for every term since by the same landslide majority. So not only will we be challenging the memory of a martyr, a member of our own family, but we'll be challenging the integrity and the competence of the reigning King of Naboo. Now do you see why I said this will be an uphill battle?"

_And speaking of uphill battles, Jesus! I never thought I'd finish this! I guess things here have just been too hectic lately, and when there's a lull I've been too damn tired to get much done. Still, here it is, and I hope to follow this up fairly soon. Please review, and let me know what you think!_


	10. Changes of Fortune

_**Star Wars: Specters of the Past**_

_**By SSG Michael B. Jackson**_

_Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?_

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and, as much as I'd like to, I think I'll forego the individual comments this time. I truly appreciate all the feedback, but my review-replies are starting to take up as much room as the story itself! Also, sorry for the long break. It's just a combination of things being hectic here and me not being in the right mood to write this. I'll try not to make the next break this long!_

It was late afternoon before Han and Mara, in their rented speeder, reached the outskirts of the refugee camp. They'd called ahead, of course, informing Master Cilghal of the unexpected and unwelcome change in their plans, and their resulting inability to bring Padmé to her. As they'd hoped, she had immediately offered to take a short break from her duties at the camp, saying that a trip into Theed, unlike a hop off-planet, was no big deal. Naturally, they'd been more than willing to give her a ride.

They glided slowly past the rows of communal living tents, latrine facilities, and dining halls, Han's eyes firmly on the path ahead lest one of the myriad small children of several species who seemed to be running loose through the camp should decide to dart out in front of them. Both were silent as they took in the too-familiar scene around them, and neither met the curious stares of the disenfranchised people who, like the camp itself, carried a worn and weary air. And these, they both knew, were the lucky ones; they'd at least escaped from wherever they'd come from with their lives, if nothing else. Now, even if they were living essentially on the charity of others, wearing borrowed clothing and eating donated foodstuffs, their children playing with toys contributed by other, more fortunate youngsters, at least they were alive. And, thanks to the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances and the Jedi Order, they had access to very competent medical care, which, unfortunately, was sadly needed in many cases.

This was brought home forcibly to Han and Mara as they came to the camp infirmary, outside of which a long line of the afflicted stretched. They dismounted, and, sidling past the many sick and wounded beings waiting for care, couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Some of those in line looked as though they'd been waiting for hours, all day perhaps, and here they were, come to spirit away one of the healers for whom they'd surely been waiting. Still, despite the maladies they saw, neither Han nor Mara got the impression that anyone in line was in immediate danger of losing life or limb and, in all truth, no one knew if the same could be said for Padmé. Thus far, her symptoms had remained mild, and had been mostly negated by the 2-1B's ministrations, but there was no way to know how long that would last, or how rapid her decline would be.

Still, Han had a hunch how Padmé might feel about taking anything away from these unfortunates, and, leaning close to Mara he said in a low voice, "Let's not mention anything about the patient load around the mother-in-law. Something tells me that if she knew about this, she'd probably refuse treatment until she could come out here herself. In fact, she'd probably insist on going to the back of the line like anybody else."

Mara nodded slowly, and said, "I wouldn't doubt it, Solo. She's that kind of lady. Fortunately, you and I are a little more… practical. These poor people aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and none of them is likely to drop dead in the few short hours Master Cilghal will be away. Padmé, on the other hand…"

"Yeah," Solo said gravely. "But, looking at these people, it's kinda hard to feel good about this."

Mara sighed, and said, "Han, if anybody should know about making right decisions that feel wrong and vice versa, it's the two of us."

Han shook his head and, pushing open the infirmary door said tiredly, "Yeah, some things never change, Jade. As much as you'd like 'em to."

---------

Aboard the _Jade Shadow_, Jaina did her level best to retain her slowly fraying sanity. It was her turn to watch after her little cousin, Jacen having 'tagged out', so to speak, so that he could be present to assist Master Cilghal. But her mind could hardly be said to be on task. Ever since learning from her parents what had occurred in the spaceport terminal, she'd been itching to do something. Anything! Anything but sitting idly in her aunt and uncle's ship, chasing after a very energetic, if, mercifully, well-behaved toddler, that is. She still couldn't believe that her grandmother had been arrested, or that no one had done anything to prevent it! Not that she could think of anything that could've been done differently, though she'd certainly tried. But surely heroes of her family's caliber could have thought of something! How could the four people most directly responsible for the fall of the Galactic Empire have just let this happen?!

These thoughts chased themselves round and round her turbulent mind, overriding even her attempts at Jedi meditation. She found herself becoming ever more restless, glancing more and more often at the ship's chrono and wishing that her 'shift' were over so that she could at least go to visit her grandmother in her overly opulent prison cell. Unfortunately, she knew that wouldn't happen until morning, still interminable hours away. She also knew that she should put her cousin down for the night soon, and then try to get some sleep herself, but somehow she doubted that the latter was likely.

Finally, having had enough of brooding, she rose from the pilot's chair where she'd been sitting, intending to scoop Ben up and get him ready for bed. But before she could take a first step in his direction, she was startled by the attention tone from the ship's com system. Spinning around, she bent to examine the panel and was vaguely surprised to find that the incoming call was a Holonet transmission, not a local call from some member of her family. Frowning slightly, she hit the 'Acknowledge' key and watched the image that slowly formed over the miniature holo-stage.

"Admiral Kre'fey," she said in a slightly bemused tone, recognizing the Bothan's countenance as it flickered before her.

"Colonel Solo," the Admiral said slowly in reply. "I don't suppose your uncle or aunt are anywhere about, are they?"

She sighed, and said, "No, sir, I'm afraid they're not. Everyone except me is a bit… preoccupied at the moment."

The admiral cocked his head quizzically, and said, "Preoccupied? With what, exactly?"

Shaking her head slowly, Jaina said, "That's a long story, sir. But let's just say that I know where Mom and Uncle Luke get their 'luck genes' from now."

"Excuse me, Colonel?" the admiral said in a bewildered tone, wondering if he'd heard correctly over the admittedly shaky Holonet connection.

"Grandmother Padmé is in trouble, sir," she said leadenly. "As soon as we landed here on Naboo, she was arrested on some ancient war crimes charges that were whipped up right after the Emperor died. Apparently, the government here thinks she was in collusion with Palpatine and helped him gain the throne."

"What?" the admiral said, shocked. "I take it that none of you lends any credence to these charges?"

Jaina laughed bitterly, and said, "Of course not, sir. And not just because she's family. But from what I understand, it's going to be hell getting the tribunal here on Naboo to believe that."

"Hmm," the admiral rumbled thoughtfully. "That is unfortunate…"

Frowning once again, Jaina said, "Yes sir, it is. But somehow I get the feeling you didn't call for a rundown on the Skywalker/Solo clan's current list of woes."

Shaking his head slowly, the admiral said, "No, I didn't." And then, changing the subject abruptly, he said, "I don't suppose you have access to crypto-key 137B4421, do you?"

Reaching into a small compartment near the com set, Jaina pulled out a small crystalline device and held it in front of the pick-up wordlessly.

Nodding slowly, the admiral said, "Good. Insert that into the com set if you will, Colonel Solo. And then we can get down to business."

---------

Inside Padmé's 'guest suite', a rapid discussion between Master Cilghal, Luke, Jacen, and the 2-1B droid had just concluded. Padmé herself was seated on the large sofa in the center of the room, staring in dismay at the hairbrush in her daughter's hand, choked now with her own chestnut-brown locks. As if to confirm what she was seeing, she slowly ran a hand through her soft tresses, coming away with a loose handful. Leia looked on with muted horror, but Padmé just sighed and dropped her hand to her lap.

"Well, it's not as if we didn't know this would start sooner or later," she said resignedly.

"Mother-" Leia began a bit uncertainly and then stopped, not knowing what to say.

Shaking her head, Padmé said, "It's alright, Leia. At least this waited until the subject matter expert was present."

As if in reply to this, Master Cilghal chose that moment to move to Padmé's side, bending a large, fishy eye close to peer at the brush in Leia's hand.

"Hmm," she said critically. "I guess I'm not a moment too soon, am I?"

Looking up to meet her gaze, Padmé said, "No, Master Cilghal, I'm afraid you're not. So what happens now?"

"Now," she said, "You just need to relax. Go ahead and recline back against the cushions or lie down, whichever is more comfortable for you." As Padmé took her advice, leaning back into the sofa's ample cushions, she said, "Good." And then, glancing over her shoulder, she said, "Jacen, come on over here. You'll be part of this too."

Following the master's instructions, Jacen came to her side, then sat down beside his grandmother when Master Cilghal motioned him to. Sitting down on the opposite side, she said, "Just do as I do, Jacen, and follow the instructions I give you."

"Yes, Master," Jacen said obediently, watching closely.

Closing her eyes, Master Cilghal reached out and placed her hands on Padmé, one resting lightly on her face, the other on her shoulder. Tentatively, Jacen did the same, reaching down in to the Force as he did so. Casting about carefully, Jacen found Master Cilghal's familiar presence, slowly and skillfully probing and analyzing both his grandmother's body and essence. Making himself pliant, malleable, Jacen slowly extended his presence in the Force, molding it to and reinforcing Master Cilghal's, gradually merging his perceptions to hers.

As he did so, Jacen began to see his grandmother as Master Cilghal did, a luminous nimbus of varicolored lights; shells and tubes and granules of light, all nested and coiled and flowing within one another. Despite his natural talent for healing and the experiences he'd had, Jacen had never seen anything quite like Master Cilghal's perceptions, and it struck him as both beautiful and efficient. It was a perfect way for a healer to visualize a body and the living Force that flowed through it.

But, following Master Cilghal's lead, Jacen soon noticed blemishes in the beauty he'd been admiring. Scattered throughout the luminous structure of Padmé's body, tiny dark motes swam and darted unnaturally. And wherever they congregated, the natural luminosity of Padmé's organs and muscles dimmed, fading toward blackness themselves.

Jacen felt Master Cilghal drawing deeper on the living Force, and their mutual perspective dove closer to one of the black agglomerations. As they closed in, he felt her reach out, gently probing the tiny points of blackness, trying to ascertain their properties and vulnerabilities. Their reaction was sudden and startling.

Wherever Master Cilghal's awareness touched the tiny motes, they suddenly whipped into a flurry of frenzied activity, morphing through all the colors of the spectrum and sliding away from her touch like tiny drops of oil or quicksilver. Jacen felt Master Cilghal's mental frown at this, and watched as she tried several different probing techniques, all of which met with similar results.

Finally, setting aside subtlety with a resigned internal sigh, Master Cilghal drew even deeper on the Force, and focused all her will on simply counteracting the black motes' activities and existence. Her efforts took the form of a shining white light, the opposite of the motes' stygian blackness, practically a laser beam of sheer will. Unfortunately, this proved no more effective than her previous efforts.

Once again shifting through all the colors of the spectrum, the tiny motes simply reflected the light of Master Cilghal's concentrated will off their infinitesimal hides, slipping and sliding away as before. Slightly aghast now, Master Cilghal wordlessly asked for and received Jacen's permission to add his strength to her own, and drew as deeply into both his and her reserves of power as she was able.

Redoubling her efforts, Master Cilghal unleashed a veritable wave of cleansing power over the tiny motes, only taking care not to damage any of Padmé's still healthy tissues in the process. This time, apparently unable to react in time, a few of the motes did wink out of existence, consumed by a conflagration of healing energies. But the vast majority, quicker than their fellows, simply adapted to the new situation as they had before and slid away.

Jacen felt Master Cilghal's deep consternation then, as she let the wave of power ebb away. Consternation and bewilderment, to be exact. Finally, with no better course of action available, Master Cilghal turned her attention away from the tiny motes of destruction, and focused instead on Padmé herself and the damaged tissues the tiny invaders were so industriously attacking.

What followed was fairly routine for Jacen, but he followed along anyway as Master Cilghal did what she could to restore the ravaged tissues. He saw that her ministrations did help, and would undoubtedly serve to prolong Padmé's life. But at the same time he knew that this was a stopgap measure at best, and that the invaders were multiplying as they did their work. Eventually, no amount of healing would be able to offset the damage that was being done, and when things reached that point, it wouldn't be long before his grandmother either died or chose for herself the same fate that had been visited upon his grandfather so many years ago. And she'd already made her choice on that matter abundantly clear.

---------

Once Master Cilghal and Jacen had come out of their healing trance, it hadn't taken long to explain what they'd found. And even though Padmé now felt better than she had at any point since her awakening, the failure of even a Jedi Master Healer's efforts to permanently alleviate her illness cast a pall over everyone present.

For a long time after Master Cilghal had finished her explanation, no one spoke, lost in their own morose thoughts. Finally, though, the silence was broken.

"Okay, that didn't work," Mara said resolutely. "So now what?"

Shaking his head slowly, Luke said, "I wish I knew. I was sure that if anything would work, this would be it."

Frowning slightly, Mara said, "Well, news flash, farm boy; it didn't. So either we figure out something else or we let your mom die. Which is it?"

"Mara," he said tightly, pain evident in his voice.

Softening slightly, she said, "I'm sorry, Luke. I don't mean to be so hard. But we can't let this discourage us. If plan A doesn't work, go to plan B. If you don't have a plan B-"

"Make one up," Luke said, smiling tiredly. "Or skip right on to plans C, D, E, F or G. Whatever it takes."

Nodding encouragingly, Mara smiled and said, "That's right. You know the drill."

Sighing loudly, Luke said, "Yeah, I guess I do. So anybody have a plan B in mind? I'm open to suggestion at this point."

From the corner he'd been standing in throughout the procedure, Han Solo said, "Well, kid, I think maybe Master Cilghal's the one we should be asking about that." And, looking to her, he said, "Any bright ideas?"

Considering for a moment, she finally said slowly, "This organism, this _thing_, is like nothing I've ever seen before. Where did you say you thought it was from?"

Looking thoughtful, Leia said, "The doctor said he thought it might be from a place called Drongar. I've never heard of it, but apparently it was a Clone War battlefield of some kind. The doctor said he'd been posted there when he was barely out of medical school and that this thing reminded him of some of the life forms there. He said that it looked like it had the same 'adaptagenic biology', whatever that is. But he also said that he was pretty sure it had been altered somehow; engineered, probably."

"Hmm," Master Cilghal said, and then, "I've never heard of this Drongar either, but if this organism, or the base stock it was engineered from, is from there… A sample of that base stock or a related organism might help us out with this."

"How do you figure that?" Padmé said, still sitting on the sofa.

"Well," Master Cilghal said slowly, "The organism inside your body resists all efforts at analysis or isolation. In other words, no one has been able to get a hold of it and figure out what makes it tick. If we could get a sample of the original bug, or something like it, that was already isolated-"

"Someone who knew what they were doing might be able to take it apart and figure out how to fight the thing inside of Grandmother!" Jacen interjected excitedly.

Master Cilghal nodded and said, "Just so. But that means that someone will need to go to this Drongar and collect a sample, of course. And then there's the matter of someone with the necessary expertise to exploit it."

"Huh!" Han said from his corner. "Getting' it shouldn't be a problem. I think me and the _Falcon_ can handle that."

Frowning, Leia said, "You and the _Falcon_? Since when did you and the _Falcon_ fly alone?"

Waving his hands in a dismissive gesture, Han said, "Ah, I wouldn't worry about that one, sweetheart. You and Luke probably need to stay here with your mom, but I'm sure I'll have no shortage of volunteers to co-pilot. In fact, I'll bet Jaina would jump at the chance. Knowing her, she's probably tearing her hair out right now, wishing she had something to do."

Leia sighed, and said, "You're probably right about that." And then, a sly grin quirking her lips, she added, "There's a first time for everything, I guess."

Rolling his eyes heavenward, Han looked to Padmé and said sardonically, "You see what I get here?"

Smiling softly, she said knowingly, "I see."

"Okay," Mara said, just a trace of exasperation in her voice, "So Solo goes to Drongar and picks up a sample of this thing. Then what? Who's going to rip this thing apart and come up with a cure?" Looking to Master Cilghal she said, "Can you do that?"

Master Cilghal sighed and said, "I can try. But I'm honestly not sure that a Jedi healer is the best choice for that. This thing has already proven to be rather resistant to manipulation through the Force."

"Then who did you have in mind?" Luke said curiously.

Considering, she said, "It would have to be someone who was extremely adept at analyzing, altering and utilizing living organisms. Someone who was a master at genetic engineering." She paused for a moment, and then said, "I think we're all familiar with one race that fits that description."

There were several frowns of consternation as the sense of this sank into all those present save Padmé, but it was Jacen who finally gave voice to what all of them were thinking.

"You mean the Yuuzhan Vong," he said flatly.

She nodded slowly as the silence in the room thickened, ultimately to be broken by Padmé.

"Now wait a moment," she said dubiously. "Aren't the Yuuzhan Vong the ones you said the entire galaxy just went to war against? The race that destroys entire worlds?"

Luke sighed and said, "Well, yes Mother. But it's a little bit more complicated than that."

Frowning, Padmé said, "Complicated? What do you mean, Luke?"

Jumping in, Jacen said, "What he means, Grandmother, is that we didn't just defeat them. In a very real way, we saved them. From themselves, that is."

More puzzled than before, Padmé said, "Okay, and how does that one work?"

Smiling indulgently, Jacen said, "Well, in a way, they were in the same predicament the Empire was. They were being lead by an Emperor who wasn't what he seemed and had no one's interests at heart except his own. They were also caught in the grips of a self-destructive religion that basically doomed them to being a race of vicious, sadistic conquerors. We, uh, fixed all of that. And, incidentally, returned them to a, uh, descendant of their original home world. That part is even more complicated, I'm afraid."

Still frowning, Padmé said slowly, "So what you're telling me is that, basically, they sort of owe us one. Is that it?"

Jacen nodded and said, "More or less. And we parted with the group we settled on Zonama Sekot amicably. In fact, a couple of Jedi stayed with them there to help smooth things out, so that should work in our favor."

Nodding also, Luke said, "It should work. I don't see why they wouldn't go for it. There's just one problem, of course…"

"And that would be?" Padmé said curiously.

"We don't know where Zonama Sekot is right now," Leia said tiredly.

Her eyebrows raising in surprise, Padmé said, "You don't know where it is?"

Leia sighed and said, "Unfortunately, no. I don't quite understand all of this, but apparently Zonama Sekot is, well, alive. The whole planet. Alive and Force sensitive, no less. But, beyond that, it's mobile too. It has huge engines, sublight and hyperdrive, built right into the crust. Whenever it feels the need, it just- moves. And, after it was all done in Coruscant's system, it moved out. To parts unknown, I'm afraid."

Sighing loudly, Han said, "Yeah, well, let's not borrow trouble. We've got plenty as it is. First we get a sample of this thing and then, assuming that works out, we figure out how to get it to the Vong. How's that grab everybody?"

Luke nodded, and said, "Sounds like a plan to me. Or at least as much of a plan as we're likely to come up with at this point. So-"

But, before he could finish, Luke was interrupted by the beeping of his wrist-com. Frowning, he pressed the 'Acknowledge' key and said, "Skywalker."

A tinny, somewhat agitated feminine voice replied, saying, "Hey, Uncle Luke, it's me, Jaina."

Still frowning, he said, "What's up, kiddo? You don't sound very happy."

Jaina sighed, and said, "Well, you wouldn't either if you'd just heard what I have. Admiral Kre'fey called."

Feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach, Luke said, "What'd he have to say, Jaina?"

"If it tells you anything, I can't talk about it over an open com, Uncle Luke," she said, and then, "I need you and Aunt Mara, at least, to come back here so I can brief you up on this. And I don't think you're going to like it much."

Mara, crowding close to Luke now, sighed and said, "Well, there's a big surprise. Let me guess; word on a certain Galactic Emperor's last big toy?"

After a slight pause, worry evident in her tone, Jaina said, "Yep, and guess what? Not only do our mutual friends not want to play with it, they don't even want to send anybody to the playground to see if it's still there. They're looking for volunteers instead."

_Well, once again, sorry for the long, long, LONG wait! Things here in Ass-Crackastan have been more than a little bit hectic, and probably won't slow down for a while. I hope it won't be nearly this long before I update again, but I can't make any promises. I hope at least some of you will stick with me on this, and I certainly appreciate any of you who do! Please take a little time to review this, as the reviews are my meat and drink when it comes to writing! Thanks._


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